


Family Tree

by octopies



Category: Moominvalley (Cartoon 2019), Mumintroll | Moomins Series - Tove Jansson, 楽しいムーミン一家 | Moomin (Anime 1990)
Genre: Also there's MymblexJoxter in here obviously but it's not the main focus, Family, Family Bonding, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen, I like the headcanon of the Joxter and Mymble being irresponsible parents but imagine loving parents, Joxter is trying to be a good father, Little My and Mymble Jr. love their little brother, The Mymble is called Mymblemamma in this and the Mymble's daughter is Mymble Jr.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-03-17 14:06:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 57,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18966766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/octopies/pseuds/octopies
Summary: A story that revolves around the life of the Mymble family and Snufkin as he grows up in the household. His mother and two sisters care for him while the Joxter tries his best to be a father to the three and the other children and is still getting used to taking care of kids, while the two Mymble sisters are getting used to having someone to call a father, even if he's not around much. A lot of family bonding ensues as everyone tries their best to look after each other and get used to new things.--This is not at all close to how the canon is but I wanted to try my take on writing a loving family of these characters! I have several chapters planned and this series is going to have time skips as Snufkin grows older. Hope you enjoy!





	1. Chapter 1

The sound of several footsteps flooded a small house as a young Mymble was chased through the halls, the sounds of babbling coming from her younger siblings as they ran after her in a pack. She raced to the door of the room she shared with them and was quick to run inside, shutting herself in and locking it to keep the younger children out. The little Mymble groaned with relief, glad to get her baby siblings out of her hair even if it was just for a short amount of time.

Silently, she wondered where her older sister was, wondering if the children would eventually flock to her instead. Little My got up from leaning on the door when she heard the retreating foot steps of the group of kids, giving up on their hunt. She looked around the room that she shared with them, at peace for once. It felt strangely comfortable when it wasn’t flooded by children, it was a shame she never seemed to get any peace around the place. If she was actually comfortable, she could see herself actually starting to like the little home. Too bad that scenario was far from a reality.

“Alone at last,” Little My mumbled to herself as she went to sit on one of the various beds in the room. There were not enough for every one of the kids, so it was usually hard to find a place to sleep and if you were small enough you had to shove yourself into any old spot you could find. Only her older sister got her own bed due to her larger height, and not to mention their mother. Little My wondered to herself if she’d ever get as tall as Mymble Jr., or perhaps even as tall as the Mymblemamma. She was still rather young, though it seemed like she had just completely stopped growing after she was no longer a toddler. She was only about an inch taller than her baby siblings. 

Little My was snapped from her thoughts when she heard a soft shuffling in the room, and a tiny giggle. She groaned, figuring maybe one of the kids had snuck in earlier before the chase. She hopped off the bed and went to search the source of the noise down, ready to kick them out of the room so she could have some quiet time. 

She heard the shuffling again not too far away and she wandered around the room, trying to pinpoint the exact location. “Come out, you little brat!” Little My huffed, slightly irritated. The one chance she got for some peace and one of her baby siblings was trying to ruin it. “I know you’re hiding somewhere.”

There was another giggle and Little My crossed her arms. “You know, for someone who’s trying to hide from me you’re not all that smart. If you don’t want me to find you, you don’t move around. You especially don’t laugh!”

With that, everything fell silent, and Little My slapped a palm to her face in frustration. Why had she even said anything?

“There’s no point in being quiet now,” Little My frowned. “I already know you’re in here, stupid. Just show yourself so I can kick you out! I want some peace around here!”

The little Mymble tapped her boot against the floor, impatiently. Still, it was only silence. “If you don’t come out by the time I count to five, I’m finding you and forcing you out. One! Two! Three…!” Each counting word was punctuated harshly, trying to get across to her unseen sibling that she was serious. 

Still, nothing.

“Alright, that’s it!” Little My shouted, irritated. She didn’t finish counting. “If you’re just going to be an annoying little pest then I won’t even bother giving you the chance to show yourself!” With that, Little My began her search throughout the room, checking under things and into every corner she could squeeze into. As she began searching the beds, she caught movement in the corner of her eye and lifted her gaze to see a large green hat slowly moving across the floor, making its way out from underneath a bed and trying to move to be underneath another one.

This wasn’t just one of her usual baby siblings. No, this was a special case.

Little My stomped over and dug her boot into the rim of the hat. The object ceased moving as the creature underneath struggled to keep going, unable to move along due to Little My pressing her weight into her step. When the creature stopped moving underneath the hat, she lifted it, revealing a tiny Mumrik kitten underneath. 

The kit stared up at her with wide, innocent brown eyes, his tousled hair sticking up in almost every direction and his tiny tail flicking curiously. He wore a little collared green dress, and the collar was white and lacy with a little yellow ribbon tied underneath the flaps of the collar. 

“I should have known it was you, Snufkin,” Little My stared down at her baby brother with a frown. “What do you want?”

This certain baby brother was unique from the rest of her little siblings. He was half Mumrik, half Mymble. He was also only slightly tinier than the other children. The slight height difference went a long way, however, considering how much he got pushed around by his other siblings. He seemed to not enjoy their company just as much as Little My didn’t and instead chose to cling onto the little Mymble or their older sister.

Snufkin only reached his paws up and grasped the air, signaling his want for something. Little My immediately understood and sighed, reaching down to pick him up. She cradled the tiny Mumrik kit in her arms and he breathed gently, comfortable.

“At least you’re not as annoying as the other ones,” Little My mused as she looked down at the curled up form of her little brother in her arms. “I take it you wanted some alone time too.” 

With the kit still in her arms, she hopped back on a bed and laid the kit down on her lap. He was almost as big as her, only just a little smaller by three or four inches. She silently wondered if the Mumrik would outgrow her within the next few years, or if he would also end up as unlucky as she. She silently hoped it would be the latter.

The breathing of the Mumrik turned into a slow and steady gentle rhythm as the kitten began to drift off. Little My noticed what was going on and began poking at the Mumrik’s back. “Hey now, don’t fall asleep on me! I know how this plays out. Nobody can move you and you get grumpy when you get woken up!”

Snufkin rolled over onto his back wordlessly, stretching himself out as he was sprawled across his big sister’s lap. He seemed to be playfully mocking her, opening up an eye slightly, as if peeping for her reaction. Little My only grumbled in response, glaring down at him.

She’d never admit it, but her little brother was cute. He was the only one that wasn’t annoying, unlike her other baby siblings. She could see him growing up to be a very nice Mumrik, and not hyper like the others, She’d never say it aloud, but she was almost excited to watch him grow up.

“If you fall asleep on me, I’ll push you on the floor!” Little My warned him, though she was mostly joking. However, it wasn’t something that could be put past her. 

Snufkin only responded with a yawn, stretching his body out more. 

Little My got an idea and took this as an opportunity to begin running her fingers along his sides in quick, rapid consistent motions, tickling him. The Mumrik let out a shriek of laughter as he tried to squirm away from his sister’s attack, but to no avail.

“This is what you get for being a little brat!” Little My grinned and laughed devilishly as the Mumrik dissolved into uncontrollable fits of laughter and giggles. She stopped at the sudden knocking of the door and the Mumrik took this to his advantage to scramble to his paws and run off on the other side of the bed, trying to catch his breath.

“Little My?” a soft voice came, belonging to her older sister. “Is that you in there? May I come in?” 

Little My was quick to hop to her feet to run to the door. “Are you alone?” she asked her from behind the door.

“Alone? What do you mean, Little My?”

“Do you have any of those annoying little insects with you?”

“Insects…? Wh—Oh! Oh, Little My, don’t be rude!“ Mymble Jr. scolded her from behind the door, although she couldn’t hide the small giggle that escaped. “…No, they’re not near me. Last I saw, they were with Mamma.”

Little My trusted and loved her older sister so she hopped to unlock the door, opening it. “Do you need something?”

“Well, I heard shrieking. I was coming by to check and see if things were okay,” Mymble Jr. answered as she entered the room. 

“Oh, yeah! Everything’s fine,” Little My answered her quickly.

Mymble Jr. tilted her head. “But that screaming…?”

The little Mymble was about to make up an excuse when there was a babble that sounded from the bed she had left Snufkin on. Mymble Jr. gasped, running over to the bed. She lovingly scooped her youngest sibling into her arms, and the Mumrik giggled. “Well, hello, Snufkin! I didn’t see you when I entered.”

Snufkin only continued to babble, incomprehensible words that came out sounding almost like a returned greeting, but it was hard to tell. The Mumrik reached out tiny brown paws, touching his oldest sister’s face. She only smiled warmly at him.

“The shrieking must have been coming from you!” Mymble Jr. spoke as she gently poked the Mumrik on the tip of his nose, earning a giggle from the creature. “Little My! You weren’t hurting him, were you?”

“Of course not!”

“Then…?”

“I was…” Little My blushed, a little embarrassed. She was embarrassed because of the prideful demeanor she held around her younger siblings. “I was tickling him.”

The older Mymble noticed the flushed face of her little sister and she laughed warmly. “I thought you didn’t like any of your little siblings, Little My?” she teased. “It’s okay to play with them, you know. You don’t have to be embarrassed about it. That’s what older sisters do!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Little My fussed, hopping back on the bed right next to her older sister as they both took a seat. Snufkin sat in Mymble Jr.’s lap, playing with the Mymble’s tail as it curled around his little body.

“I don’t exactly hate our siblings, they can just be…Annoying,” Little My stated. “Snufkin, though. I don’t know, he just seems different.”

“I mean, technically he is? His father is…strange.”

“Besides that,” Little My rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean. Like, he likes to be alone, he doesn’t really like being around anyone else except for us. He’s just…I don’t know. Different?”

Mymble Jr. hummed in thought. “I think I see what you mean,” she said, looking down at the little Mumrik brother. “Mamma really likes him, too. I mean, she has such a hard time keeping up with her children…but it’s like she always knows of Snufkin’s whereabouts.”

Little My watched as her big sister ran her black paws through the kitten’s hair idly, playing with it. The Mumrik leaned into the touch with closed eyes, purring contently. 

“Yeah,” Little My hummed. “Think it’s because of his father? He looks exactly like him.”

“He looks like us too, Little My,” Mymble Jr. responded. “Although his hair is darker than ours.”

“And the Joxter’s hair is darker than that, almost black!” the little Mymble grinned. “Imagine if Snufkin’s was like that?”

The two sisters watched their little brother as he leaned up into the touch of Mymble Jr.’s, nuzzling his head into them. He seemed to be listening in to them talking about him, judging by the twitch of his ears. Nobody could ever tell if he truly understood or not, though. He never spoke besides for babbling or the occasional word or two. Nobody truly knew if he could talk and just chose not to, or if he was still learning.

“I think his current hair suits him,” Mymble Jr. said with a smile. “Though I do wonder what he’d look like with red hair.” The oldest sister took a spare hair tie that was wrapped around her paw, and held it between her teeth as she began gathering up the Mumrik’s thick hair. When she had a hold of his hair, she took the hair tie and pulled it up into a topknot on his head, just like the usual Mymble style. The sisters laughed at him fondly, in awe over how much he looked like them, save for the darker hair and the occasional tufts of fur along his body. 

Snufkin reached up his paws and began to bat at the hair on the top of his head, attempting to pull it out but not being able to grip it properly with his tiny brown paws.

Mymble Jr. giggled, “Leave it alone, Snufkin! You look cute!”

“Let’s go show Mamma!” Little My had a toothy grin. The oldest sister nodded and gathered the Mumrik kitten in her arms and the two left the room, off to find their mother. They found her sitting in a large chair reading a book, some of their baby siblings laying on top of her, asleep, while the awake ones ran wild around the room. The Mymble looked up as her two oldest children approached.

“Hello, children,” Mymblemamma greeted them and laid her book face-down in her lap, careful to not stir the sleeping Mymble children on her lap. “Is something wrong?”

“Look, Mamma!” Mymble Jr. held out her baby brother who was still trying to tear out the hair tie, but with no success. “Doesn’t he look just like us?”

Mymblemamma raised a paw to her mouth and gasped, following by a warm laugh. “Oh, my,” she spoke. “He looks just like the other children, save for that dark hair. Speaking of, I think it’s time he’s due for a cut, hm?”

“I rather like him with longer hair,” Mymble Jr. responded with a grin. “Though, I don’t think he likes it.” The daughter handed her baby brother off to their mother as she held her arms out. Mymblemamma took her son and cradled him as the kitten babbled up at her.

“If only your father could see you right now! He’s not due to come by until later today,” the Mymble looked down at her youngest son as she cooed to him. “What would he say about your new hairstyle?”

The only response she received was an incomprehensible babble, and more swipes of paws at the tie on the top of his head. Tiny claws were unsheathed from his brown paws, trying a different method to get a grip.

Mymblemamma laughed, “I know. You don’t like it.” She took a paw and gently pulled the hair tie out, the messy hair falling back around his face while some stood up in places where it had been pulled up. “Be careful with those claws, dear.”

Snufkin sheathed his claws and lowered his arms, expressing his comfort with a low purr. The Mymble handed the hair tie off to the oldest daughter and ran a paw through his hair, trying her best to fix the shaggy mess but her efforts proved to be useless. “Hmm. You need a cut indeed, Snufkin. For now…Oh, where is your hat?”

“He was hiding underneath it in the bedroom when I was trying to get a place for peace and quiet,” Little My answered her with her arms crossed.

“Oh, he was only trying to play with you, dear!”

“Why does he even have it? It’s way too big for him!”

“His father insisted on him having it,” Mymblemamma told her with a smile. “He’ll grow into it, eventually.”

“He really likes his hat,” Mymble Jr. said softly with a smile, thinking about how their baby brother tended to drag his large hat around above his head with his arms held up in the air to keep it above his head. Idly, she put the hair tie back around her wrist. “He’s always trying to wear it! Though, I think he knows he’s much too little.”

Snufkin only looked over at his two older sisters and smiled at them. The Mymble held her son back out and her oldest daughter took him back. “Won’t you fix him up for when his father comes around, dears? And make sure you look nice and proper too! I’ll handle the other children.”

“He’s not even our father,” Little My frowned with her paws on her hips. Her next sentence was mumbled under her breath. “Not like he bothers to ever look nice anyway.” 

“Yes, yes, he might not be your father, but you know how he sees you,” Mymblemamma hummed. “You’re his child just as much as Snufkin is to him.”

Little My huffed and rolled her eyes, and with a wave she set off to deal with Snufkin. Her older sister followed behind her, holding the Mumrik kitten.

“How’s you say we cut it all off?” Little My grinned devilishly as they closed themselves off in the bathroom. “The Joxter always has such a fixation on how Snufkin’s hair looks like his. Let’s give him a surprise!”

The oldest Mymble daughter set her little brother down on the counter and he sat there peacefully, looking at them in curious silence. “You know Mamma wouldn’t like that, My,” she spoke as she began to undress the kitten, taking his dress off and leaving him in a pair of undershorts underneath. “How about we just trim it?”

“Yeah, but…”

“We’re not doing anything that could upset his father, Little My.”

“I just think it’d be funny, Mymble! He probably wouldn’t care anyways. Either way it’s going to grow back to be just as messy as his.”

Little My’s words formed an image in the older Mymble’s head as she thought about what their brother would look like with barely any hair at all. With a giggle, she spoke, “Maybe one day, Little My. But not right now. Joxter is expected to come soon, so let’s hurry!”

The little Mumrik kitten looked up at his older sisters with curious silence as Mymble Jr. took out a pair of scissors and began to snip away at the long hair. Snufkin watched as little clumps of hair fell around him, landing on his body and the counter. 

“Run some water, won’t you, Little My? He’ll need a bath after I finish,” Mymble Jr. hummed as she looked at her little brother, noticing the little strands of hair that already sat atop his shoulders.

Little My took out a little metal tub that the family used to wash the little children and began to put water in it from the faucet in the bigger tub. While she waited for it to fill up, she watched what her older sister was doing, watching as she trimmed Snufkin’s hair.

Snufkin began to move his head around, away from the scissors, having enough of just sitting there and having hair fall onto his body and making him itch. 

“Oh, please don’t move now, Snufkin. I don’t want to accidentally snip you,” Mymble Jr. spoke softly, stopping with the scissors. “Won’t you sit still, please? Mamma wants you to look nice for Pappa.”

Snufkin puffed out his cheeks in a pout, still moving his head around. “No.”

Mymble Jr.’s eyes widened as the Mumrik spoke something that wasn’t just a babble, albeit it being a very short, simple word. This basically showed that he did understand people, and could say maybe a few words, however he mostly chose to be silent and incomprehensible. He was still learning. She let it slip her mind, though, instead focusing back on the stubborn little kitten and wanting to get the job done. “Please, Snufkin? I’ll give you a treat if you sit still!”

Snufkin looked at her curiously and stopped moving. The Mymble sighed softly and went back to trimming his hair, finishing with no further problems. When she was done, she ruffled the Mumrik’s hair. “Okay, time for your bath!”

Snufkin didn’t like to be washed, but he didn’t protest this time, not liking the feeling of the hair that had fallen on his body and began to make his skin itch. Mymble Jr. picked him up and took off the remainders of his clothes, his undershorts, and set him in the little metal tub. His brown tail flicked in the water and he playfully splashed water up at the oldest Mymble and Little My who stood on the tips of her boots to look down at him.

Mymble Jr., who was knelt down on her knees in front of the tub, leaned back on her haunches with a laugh as water was splashed in her face. “Don’t play around too much, Snufkin. Mamma wants us to look nice too!”

Snufkin stopped and let his oldest sister begin to cup water in her paws and run it through his newly trimmed hair, wetting it. The hair sat flat on his head, his fringe laying flat above his eyebrows. Mymble Jr. gathered some shampoo into the palms of her paws and lathered it up in his hair, then took a cup and rinsed it out with water. 

“I don’t understand why we have to look nice,” Little My frowned as she watched her sister tend to their little brother. “Any time Joxter’s ever visited us, he’s looked like a wild animal. I don’t get how Mamma likes him!”

“He’s a nice man, Little My,” Mymble Jr. hummed. “He obviously likes Mamma a lot. Love isn’t just about looks and appearances!”

“Hmph.”

Mymble Jr. didn’t say anything further and turned to their brother. “You’re almost done, Snufkin,” she smiled warmly at him as she wet a rag and put soap on it and began to wash him. Once she was finished, she rinsed him off and turned to Little My.

“Ready a towel, won’t you? I need to take him out,” Mymble Jr. requested. Little My nodded and grabbed one, opening it and holding it out. The oldest Mymble daughter took the little Mumrik out of the tub and held him next to the towel, and Little My quickly wrapped it around his body so that he wouldn’t drip water on the floor. Once he was wrapped up, Mymble Jr. took him in her arms and stood up, moving to sit him on the counter. She avoided the pile of hair that sat on the counter from the trim. They’d have to clean it up later.

“Let’s get you dry!” Mymble Jr. smiled at her brother as he sat there with the towel wrapped around him like a blanket, looking up at her with a smile. His hair around his ears and the back of his head had begun to curl up at the ends. His fringe had a slight curl to it as well. The Mymble took another towel and began to ruffle his hair, drying it. It puffed up everywhere until she took a brush and began to brush it flat.

“I know you don’t like brushing your hair,” she hummed as she continued, despite the Mumrik’s babbling protests. “But it’s only for a little while, alright? Would you rather Mamma do it?”

The Mumrik stopped protesting in response, knowing what it’s like to get his hair brushed by the Mymble mother. She seemed to always know just where every tangle and knot was. Mymble Jr. laughed softly in response to his sudden silence.

“Little My, can you grab some clothes for Snufkin?” Mymble Jr. asked, giving her little sister a glance. With a huff, Little My ran out of the room, checking the hallways first for any of her other baby siblings. Seeing nothing, she darted into the bedroom and began looking through the drawers. She pulled out some undershorts for Snufkin and another green dress with a white collar and yellow ribbon. It matched his hat that he dragged around everywhere. With the clothes wadded up in her paws, she ran back to the bathroom and handed them off to her sister.

“Little My! Don’t let them get wrinkled,” Mymble Jr. quickly took the clothes while Little My snorted. She began to dress the kitten. Once she was done, she took a step back to look at her brother.

“Good as new!” the Mymble grinned as she stepped forward and took her little brother into her arms. “Cute, too! How about we get you that treat I promised you?”

The two Mymble sisters headed out of the bathroom with their brother. Snufkin played with the large bow on Mymble Jr.’s dress as she carried him. When they arrived into the living room, their mother was still in the same chair, reading her book. Instead of there being children laying on her, however, a large figure was sprawled across her lap like a cat, lazing in a deep sleep. 

The Mymble mother looked up from her book with a warm smile. “Don’t speak too loudly, the Joxter is asleep,” she spoke lovingly in a hushed whisper. Her voice made the Joxter stir from his position lying on his stomach, however he did not awaken. “Oh, my, Snufkin looks lovely!”

Mymble Jr. smiled in response and spoked in the same hushed tone, “I know, Mamma! I promised him a treat when I was finished. He didn’t like having his hair trimmed.”

“Of course,” Mymblemamma smiled. “Run along quietly now, alright?”

“Okay, Mamma!” Little My spoke as she projected her voice loudly, a mischievous grin on her face, knowing exactly what she was doing. The sudden shout made the Joxter startle from his sleep, lifting his head with a sharp, blue-eyed glance towards his stepdaughter. 

The Mymble only laughed in response, expecting nothing less of the second oldest daughter. “That’s my Little My.”

The Joxter grumbled, lifting his paws to grab the rim of his hat and bring it down around his eyes, trying to drift off back into his slumber. His Mymble lover nudged him and spoke softly, “You’ve slept enough, dear. Don’t you want to see the children?”

The Joxter rolled over onto his back, looking up at the Mymble, his grumpiness fading as he looked into her eyes. His large red hat fell off his head from his new position. He sat up from where he was laying, his eyes looking to the two Mymble daughters and the Mumrik son. He was quick to get to his feet and he padded over, standing over the kids. Mymble Jr.’s head came up to his mid torso, but he towered the other two.

“Hullo,” he spoke simply, a pipe hanging lazily from his mouth. He wasn’t even smoking anything at the moment, it was more so just an idle habit. He was trying the best he could to form a relationship with his stepchildren the best he could. He still had trouble remembering the names of the group of little ones. It was even more troubling considering how little he was around. 

“How are you?” Mymble Jr. asked politely, the Mumrik kitten in her arms turning his attention away from the bow to look up at his father. He suddenly began babbling happily, reaching his arms out and making grabbing motions with his paws, wanting the Joxter to pick him up.

“Looks like someone’s excited to see you!” Mymble Jr. laughed, looking down at the kit. “What about your treat, Snufkin? Remember?” Snufkin retracted his arms.

“I’m fine. Long journey here. A little tired. How are you?” Joxter responded and finished with a question, then tilted his head curiously, looking at Snufkin and then to the oldest Mymble daughter. “Treat?”

“I promised him a treat if he’d sit still so I could trim his hair,” she explained with a smile. “Also, I’m fine, thank you!”

The Joxter only nodded in understanding and knelt, getting on his knees on the ground so that he was eye level with Little My. “And how are you, little Mymble? A little mischievous thing you are, waking me up like that.”

Little My grinned at her stepfather. “Just fine,” she answered. “Someone had to do it, or Mamma may have let you sleep there all day!”

Joxter smiled, reaching out to ruffle the hair of the little Mymble, much to her protest. “I suppose you're right. Don’t want to miss out on seeing my kids, right?”

Little My didn’t exactly know how she felt about the Joxter. She didn’t mind him, of course, but growing up without a father figure, it felt weird to have someone around who wanted to be one to her, even if he wasn’t around much to begin with. She supposed she didn’t care, and would maybe even develop a proper father-daughter bond with him one day. He just had to put in the effort, though, and get over his slight awkwardness of being in the kids’ lives.

“Hmph. If you want to see us, the least you could do is make yourself look nice,” Little My teased him playfully, looking him up and down and taking note of the disheveled appearance. “Mamma makes us look nice for you!”

The Joxter only laughed at that. “Well, you have to listen to your mother. You know she never asks much of you kids to behave,” he spoke warmly, standing up. “Now, go get Snufkin that treat, won’t you? Come back when you’re done.”

The two daughters hurried off into the kitchen with the kitten. “What’re you going to give him, Mymble?” Little My asked her sister when they stopped in the room as she began rummaging through the cabinets with one paw and Snufkin in her other arm.

“Ah hah!” Mymble Jr. grinned when her paw came in contact with a jar and she brought it down. The jar was full of little white cubes. She set Snufkin down on the counter and began to open the jar. “Sugar cubes!”

She took one out and held it in between her paws, holding it in front of the Mumrik’s face. He grinned and reached out with his paws, taking it and nibbling on it with sharp baby fangs. The sugar bits dissolved in his mouth and left a sweet taste lingering on his tongue. The Mymble gave one to Little My and got one out for herself before putting the jar back up.

“We should get back to the Joxter now,” Mymble Jr. hummed and the two left the kitchen with the Mumrik, still nibbling on the cube. When they returned in the living room, the Mumrik father was sat on the floor, his back leaning against the Mymble’s legs as she sat in her chair, his head lying back in her lap with his chin pointed upwards while the mother ran a paw through her lover’s unkempt dark hair. He perked up when his ear twitched at the sound of approaching footsteps and he looked at the three children walking up to him.

Mymble Jr. sat Snufkin down on the floor right in front of the Joxter and she got down on her knees beside him. With a grin, Joxter crossed his legs and scooted over, leaning down slightly to look at his tiny son, poking a finger at the little sugary object in Snufkin’s paws. “What do you have there, little kitten? Sugar?”

Snufkin brought the sugar cube away from his father’s touch, earning a laugh from the Joxter. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to take it from you.” He reached a paw over and ruffled the kit’s hair, making it just as messy as his was. “Hm. First time I’ve ever seen you with your hair cut this short. It suites you, son.”

Snufkin stayed silent, looking at his father with curious brown eyes before returning to his treat. Mymble Jr. piped up, “It’s not that short, in fact, Little My wanted to cut it all off!”

Joxter smiled at the oldest daughter and laughed, before looking over at the little Mymble who stood with paws on her hips right next to the Mumrik kit. “Is that so?”

“I thought it’d be funny,” Little My grinned. “I still think we should have done it.”

“Why not?” Joxter moved to position himself to where he was lying on his stomach right in front of Snufkin. His tail swished idly from side to side. “I’m sure he’d look just fine.”

“Told you he wouldn’t care, Mymble,” Little My spoke in a hushed voice to her older sister. 

“Doesn’t he look cute now, dear?” Mymblemamma spoke up, looking down at her lover and her children on the floor. “You should have seen him before you came. Mymble had his hair pulled up and he was not happy about it, no, not one bit!”

The Joxter looked at Snufkin and huffed a laugh. “Indeed he does. I don’t think I’d be too happy about it either if someone pulled my hair up.” For emphasis, he shook his head, the wild dark brown hair becoming messier in the process, if it were even possible to get it even more untidy. 

“Oh! Can I pull it up, Pappa?” Mymble Jr.’s eyes lit up as she looked at her stepfather.

He looked over with a curious hum, ear flicking at being addressed like a father by the stepdaughter. He was used to just being called by his name, but being called that made him feel a little warm inside and happy. 

“Well…”

“Please? I’ll be gentle, I promise! I won’t tug like Mamma does with our hair.” Mymble Jr.’s words made the Mymble mother laugh.

“Won’t you let her do it, dear?” Mymblemamma smiled down at her lover. “Look at how excited she is.”

The Joxter looked up at the Mymble and then over to her oldest daughter. He exhaled and crossed his arms up underneath his head, resting his chin on his arms. “I suppose it won’t hurt,” he mused. “Go ahead, young one.”

Mymble Jr. grinned excitedly and scooted closer on her knees to the resting figure of her stepfather and began running her paws through the unkempt hair, trying to smoothen it out. Once she felt she had done enough work with that she began to gather up strands into her paws, taking the tie off from around her wrist and placing it in her mouth as she continued to pull up the hair. Once she got a good bit in a strong grip, she took the hair tie out from between her teeth and began to tie it in the hair. The topknot it was tied into on the top of his head was very messy and untidy, but perhaps the messiness just suited him.

Little My couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her at the sight. “You look silly!”

Mymblemamma covered her mouth with a paw, but that didn’t help cover the laughter. “Little My’s right, dear. You should get a look at yourself.”

Mymble Jr. got up to her feet and ran off, coming back with a small mirror in her paws. She knelt back down and held it in front of the Joxter. The Mumrik father opened his eyes, getting a good look at himself.

He had a large toothy grin as he stared at his reflection and he laughed. “Guess this style just isn’t for me,” he smiled as the Mymble daughter moved the mirror away. He looked over at his son who was staring up at him with a smile. “Well? What do you think, little Snufkin?”

Snufkin babbled and let out a giggle and nothing more. The Joxter hummed at that, rolling on his back with his head facing the Mumrik son. He rested his head on his arms as he crossed them behind his head. With closed eyes as he rested, he addressed a question to anyone who would answer first, “Does he talk yet? He’s a quiet little one…though expected of a little Mumrik kit. However, being raised here, I thought he’d be as hyper as the rest. He does have some Mymble in him after all.”

“He said ‘no’ earlier,” Little My piped up. “When Mymble was trimming his hair!”

“Of course he did,” the Joxter grinned, relaxed, feeling the touch of his son’s paws in his hair as Snufkin batted at the knot of pulled up hair that laid in front of him.

“He doesn’t talk much,” Mymble Jr. mused. “But he does understand us. Maybe he’s just quiet while he’s learning?”

The Joxter slowly raised his arms until his paws were on either side of Snufkin. The Mumrik kit didn’t seem to notice so his father went in for the attack, grasping him by his sides and lifting him with a triumphant, “Gotcha!” and he held him up in the air above him as the kit shrieked with surprise and laughter. 

“Careful not to drop him, dear,” Mymblemamma hummed as she watched her lover play with their son. 

The Joxter only smiled and brought Snufkin closer to his face, nuzzling the tip of his nose against the kit’s nose. “Such a well-behaved kit,” he held him up again while Snufkin continued to giggle. “Wonder if you’ll always be like this when you’re older? Maybe you’ll be an adventurer like me. Rebellious and free!”

Snufkin only smiled down at him as the Joxter spoke. “Yes, yes, those park keepers better watch out for this little kitten. They’ll tremble just at the sight of you, little one.” Snufkin only clapped his paws with another giggle. 

“He’s so calm and reserved now, dear,” Mymblemamma looked at the two. “He’ll grow up to be a very polite boy.”

“Maybe so,” Joxter grinned. “But you can be nice while also experiencing the joys of being free.” He lowered Snufkin slightly and set him down, and began to try and sit up when a sudden weight landed itself on his upper chest. He looked up to see the daring green eyes of Little My.

“Hold me up too, Joxter!” she grinned, looking at him expectantly. The Joxter only huffed a laugh and wrapped his paws around her like he had done to Snufkin.

“I don’t even get a ‘Pappa’?” he teased in reference to her calling him by his name, throwing her up into the air and catching her, taking her by surprise.

“Hey! You didn’t tell me you were going to do that!” Little My protested, though she didn’t seem to truly mind when the fits of laughter she was having as he continued to throw her up and catch her over and over. The little Mymble was having fun while the Joxter seemed to be enjoying the bond they were creating together, happy he could be the father-figure in the Mymbles’ lives that they never exactly had.

“Okay, that’s enough, Pappa!” Little My laughed, paw on her forehead. “You’re gonna make me sick.” The Joxter stopped and sat her back down on his chest where she had plopped herself originally, smiling inwardly at the Mymble’s change in addressment. Little My hopped off his chest onto the ground next to him, brushing her dress to straighten it.

The Joxter yawned and pulled Little My into a hug before she could walk away from him. “Am I the only one who’s tired?” he asked, ignoring as the little Mymble protested against his embrace, kicking at his arms but the Mumrik father did not let go.

“You were napping earlier, you lazy oaf! Unhand me!” Little My shouted, her tone and words playful. Everyone laughed at the sight, the Mymble mother rather happy to see the Joxter trying to create a bond with her children. It was rather cute, watching her lover try to be a father to them. He was still learning and had a lot of work to do, but the children didn’t seem to mind him.

Mymble Jr. giggled, watching her little sister and her stepfather. She leaned down to give both of them a hug. Not long afterwards, Snufkin was crawling up, squeezing in between the larger forms of his father and sisters and joining their embrace.

The Joxter held their embrace for a second longer before he patted Mymble Jr.’s back and let go of Little My who quickly stood to her feet and put a few inches of space between them. The Mumrik father bared his fangs in a toothy smile up at them, moving his arms back to rest his head on top of them. “You children sure do love your father.”

“You wish!” Little My returned her grin and playfully stepped on his swishing tail with a boot, earning a surprised, but not pained, noise from the Joxter. She didn’t step hard enough for it to hurt, only playing around.

“Little My!” Mymblemamma scolded her, and despite her words she laughed along when Snufkin began laughing at the sight of his father and older sister. “Be nice!”

Snufkin crawled up to his father’s torso, climbing on top of his chest and lying down, curling up. From his curled position he reached out his paws, claws unsheathed as he began kneading like a cat. His claws sunk through the fabric of Joxter’s top and pricked the skin underneath, but not enough to break the skin. It was still enough to cause slight pain and discomfort, though.

“Ow, ow, Snufkin,” the Joxter removed an arm from behind his head. “Be careful, will you? Those baby Mumrik claws…so painfully sharp in kittenhood.”

The Mumrik kit didn’t listen, or if he did listen he chose not to do anything about it, as he continued kneading. The Joxter had a paw raised to stop him, but decided against it, crossing it back underneath his head as he powered through the discomforting feeling. Soon enough, Snufkin stopped with his kneading, getting comfortable and fully curling himself up, resting his chin on his crossed paws. 

“Look’s like Snufkin’s tired, too, dear,” Mymblemamma spoke down at him, standing up from her chair. “If you’re tired, why don’t you head to bed? It must have been a long day for you. You can take Snufkin with you.”

The Joxter was silent for a long moment before he huffed. “…I don’t think I can move.”

Mymblemamma laughed and leant down, gently lifting the Mumrik kit into her arms and cradling him. Thankfully, the kitten did not stir awake. Quickly, the Joxter got to his feet, looking up at his lover as he took Snufkin back into his own arms. The kit subconsciously nuzzled his face into his father’s chest as he was cradled, exhaling softly in his sleep.

“I’ll be in the bed later, dear. I have to herd the other children into bed,” Mymblemamma told him as she leaned down to place a kiss on the top of Joxter’s head. “Be careful not to wake Snufkin up.”

Snufkin was carried off to the Mymble mother’s bedroom by his sleepy father and he did not awaken when the Mumrik pulled the covers down on the bed, placing his son in the middle. The Joxter climbed up into the bed, laying on his side as he looked down at the sleeping form of his son.

“I’m very glad to have you, Snufkin,” the Joxter spoke softly, talking to nobody except for the sleeping form of his son. “You’re a very good boy. I was…”

The Joxter’s voice cut off, feeling rather silly for talking to the baby Mumrik. He probably couldn’t even understand the true depth of his words, but even if he did, he was asleep anyways. With a sigh, he continued on, “I was very scared to be a father. And confused. But with you, your sisters, and the others, I don’t think it will be too bad. I love you, a lot.” The only response he received for his heart-felt words was the Mumrik kitten rolling over in his sleep, cuddling up to his father. The Joxter smiled warmly.

The Joxter had almost drifted off into his own dreams when he heard the sound of soft footsteps entering the room. He sat up, his curious blue eyes landing on his lover, as well as her two oldest children right behind her. “Kids?”

“They want to sleep with us, dear,” Mymblemamma explained as she began getting into her side of the bed. “Is that alright with you? The other little ones are all in bed and asleep.”

“Of course,” Joxter smiled softly, only slightly surprised that they actually wanted to do that. Like a real family. It was still a little strange thinking of it, he just wasn’t used to it yet. He laid back down on his side. “You can come lay in the middle, children. Be careful not to wake your brother.”

At his words, he didn’t have to see them to know Little My and Mymble Jr. were climbing up, the middle of the bed dipping with their weight as they got comfortable between their parents. Mymble Jr. laid next to her mother while Little My laid next to the Joxter with the little Mumrik kitten between his sisters. The family huddled close together, sharing warmth, as they got comfortable.

“Comfortable, children?” the Mymble mother asked, her own voice soft and sleepy.

“Yes, Mamma,” came the voice of Little My and Mymble Jr. as the two spoke together.

“…Would you like a story?” the Joxter tried, figuring that was what fathers did. He only got laughter in response, though it was all fond and loving.

Little My teased, “I don’t want to hear your voice while I’m trying to sleep!” She pressed close to the slightly smaller form of Snufkin, sharing her warmth with him as she finally relaxed and settled down to let sleep take her.

The Joxter only laughed, sitting up slightly and leaning down over his children. He placed a kiss on Little My’s forehead, then did the same for Snufkin and Mymble Jr.. Unknown to his eyes, the three children smiled softly in their sleep. “Good night, dears.”

The Joxter settled back down, laying on his side and facing the children and his lover. With a sleepy paw and closed eyes, he reached out, searching for Mymblemamma’s own paw. When he found it, he grasped it gently and they held paws as they both drifted into a comfortable sleep, their arms resting gently around the three children as the family slept soundly, sharing each other’s warmth.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snufkin ends up having a nightmare and the whole family has to try and calm him down, some of who are more prepared and experienced in that circumstance than others. After they’re able to fall back asleep, Snufkin wakes the Joxter back up and the father tries his best to spend time with his son, albeit being a little awkward about it.

Everyone in the bed startled awake to the sound of crying filling their ears. Little My, who was right next to the source, grumbled and closed her paws over her ears as pain shot through her at the sudden unbearably loud intrusive sound against her ear drums.

“Great,” the little Mymble grumbled with a frown, covering her ears the best she could and closing her eyes tightly. No matter how hard she tried, she could not block out the sound. With a groan, she sat up, looking down at her brother. He was tossing around in discomfort, tears staining his cheeks as he wailed loudly, trying to catch the attention of anyone who cared.

Mymble Jr. sat up as well, looking down at him. “Oh, no, what do you think is the matter with him?”

Weight behind Mymble Jr. shifted on the bed as the Mymble mother sat up, peering over at her son. “Oh, my, he must have had a nightmare.” She reached over and delicately lifted the crying kitten, cradling him against her chest and gently rocking him, but nothing helped. The kit continued to scream his head off as tears continued to flow.

“Please calm down, little Snufkin,” Mymblemamma tried cooing as she continued to rock him. She then began to shush him softly. Still, nothing helped.

The Joxter was still stirring sleepily, drifting in and out of sleep, the loud sound of crying not exactly enough to wake the lazy Mumrik up fully. He woke up completely though when Little My began to shake him awake in every way except gentle. “Wake up, Joxter! Snufkin won’t shut up and Mamma needs help!”

“He’s just scared, Little My,” Mymblemamma hummed as she continued to try and calm him down. The Joxter sat up sleepily, rubbing his eyes.

“What happened?” he asked, looking over at the kit in his lover’s arms. His cheeks were dusted a light pink from the constant screaming, and surely his throat would be sore by now.

“Mamma thinks he had a nightmare,” Mymble Jr. answered as she sat beside the mother, looking at her brother. 

The Joxter got on all fours and crawled along the very large bed, heading over towards the Mymble. He stopped at her legs then crawled forward on top of her, sitting on her lap so he was close to his son as well. He looked down at him worriedly, unsure what to do. He knew the Mymble mother had a lot of experience in this subject, however he had none.

“Would you like to try taking him, dear?” Mymblemamma asked him.

“Uh,” the Joxter began hesitantly and before he could say anything else, the kit was placed in his arms. Fretfully, he peered down at Snufkin as the baby continued to cry. “Um.”

“Try rocking him, dear,” Mymblemamma grasped his arms tenderly and began guiding them slowly from side to side, showing him what to do. The Joxter did as instructed but stopped when his crying only continued. The Mymble shook her head, “No, you have to continue, dear. You can’t stop, even if it doesn’t work. It may eventually.”

“Pathetic!” Little My laughed, each syllable punctuated teasingly. “You don’t even know how to care for your own child!”

The Joxter playfully sent a glare over at Little My. “Would you like to try?”

“No thank you, I’m good,” Little My grinned. “Though I imagine I’d do better than you.”

The Joxter turned his attention back to his son as he continued to cry. He shifted in his position on the Mymble’s lap uncomfortably, unsure of what he should do. 

“Oh, I do hope he has not startled the other children awake. If they wake up, the bed will end up being full of children.” Mymblemamma mused, a paw on her cheek.

The Joxter looked up at her then back down to his son as he began gently rocking him like his lover instructed him. “What ever is the matter, kitten?” he tried cooing softly. The Mumrik kit opened his eyes slightly and looked up at his father as he wailed, eyes puffy and red from the flowing tears.

“You’re alright, Pappa’s here,” the Joxter continued trying to coo to him. His words came out hesitantly and awkwardly. “You’re safe with us, nothing will hurt you.”

“It’s okay, baby,” Mymblemamma joined in, leaning over so her head was right in front of the Joxter’s as she looked down at their son in his arms. “Mamma and Pappa are here to protect you.”

Snufkin looked up at his parents with a quivering lip and weepy brown eyes. His screaming had begun to quiet down, mostly due to the exhaustion. Eventually, he fell completely silent, except for the occasional sniffles and the upset babbles.

Mymblemamma smiled softly and wrapped an arm around the form of her lover sitting on her lap, leaning close as she wrapped another arm around the form of their child in the Joxter’s arms. She pulled both of them closer to her.

“Is he okay, Mamma?” Mymble Jr. asked softly, looking at her baby brother. Little My crawled close to get a look as well.

“Yes, dear,” Mymblemamma hummed. “He’s just worn out now from all that screaming. Poor baby.”

Snufkin rubbed his eyes sleepily and the Joxter lifted his gaze, glancing out a window that was in the room. It was still very dark outside with no hint of a bright, orange sun off in the horizon at all. Joxter groaned, “It can’t be too long past midnight.”

The Mymble directed her gaze towards the window as well and laughed. “Yes, well, that’s what happens when you have children.”

“Think he’ll cry again, Mamma?” Little My asked as she began settling back down in bed, getting comfortable, hoping to be able to get more sleep.

“Hopefully not,” Mymblemamma hummed. “He probably just had a bad dream. Hopefully he’ll get a peaceful sleep this time.”

The Mymble mother took their son from the Joxter’s arms and held him, cooing down at him as Snufkin stared up at her, becoming sleepier with the moment. The Joxter groaned with exhaustion, falling forward in the Mymble’s lap and laying on her on his stomach, his head resting on her chest.

The Mymble laughed, removing one paw from her hold on their son to run a paw through the Joxter’s messy hair. “I can’t take care of two babies at once,” she joked. Before she could say anything else, her lover had managed to fall fast asleep from where he lay on her lap, and Snufkin wasn’t far from drifting off into his own sleep as well. She turned to her two older children, careful not to wake her sleeping Mumrik lover in her lap. “Suppose it’s time we try to get more rest, yes? When we wake up in the morning, everything should be okay.”

“Good night, Mamma,” Mymble Jr. said with a smile as she got comfortable again. Little My gave her good night wishes as well, albeit rather sleepily, for the little Mymble was not too far from a dreamy state herself. The remaining awake members of the family steadily fell asleep again, and this time, their sleep remained peaceful.

 

At some point in the night, the Joxter had moved off from laying on top of his lover and was now laying at the foot of the bed. It seemed someone else had found his spot in the dark room, as he awoke to the feeling of something laying on his chest. It was a rather light weight, but heavy enough to restrict breath intake only slightly. With a grumble and eyes still closed, the Mumrik swiped a paw idly in the air, thinking maybe it was just Little My who decided to mess around. He just wanted to go back to sleep.

Unfortunately for him, the figure did not budge. It was swayed only slightly by the paw but quickly regained its balance, once again perching right on top of the Joxter’s chest. Of course, as expected of Little My, she would always get her way.

Except, when the Joxter opened his eyes to finally give into the tiny Mymble’s wishes of bothering him, it actually wasn’t Little My at all.

Wide, curious, brown eyes stared at him from his chest. The suddenness of seeing it almost made the Joxter startle as he met the eyes of his son while the little Mumrik perched on top of his chest. He sat up on his elbows.

“Snufkin,” the Joxter whispered, making sure not to let his voice shout in surprise. His Mymble family were still asleep after all. “What are you doing up?” The answer he received was silence with a blink of wide awake eyes. 

The Joxter sighed, laying back down and sinking into the mattress, his son still sat on top of him. “Can’t you go back to sleep, little one? Your Pappa is very tired…” Again, silence. Snufkin lifted a paw and brought it back down on his father’s chest.

“Okay, okay, I’m up!” the Joxter murmured, lifting the kit into his arms and getting out of the bed. On quiet paws, he left the room, shutting the door behind him. He passed the room where the baby Mymbles slept and made sure their door was shut as well. Finally, when he reached the living area, he was able to speak up.

“So commanding, and you can’t even speak yet,” the grown Mumrik said to his son as the kit stared up at him from his arms. He yawned, carrying him over to the window. It was still dark, but soon, they would be able to see a hint of the sun over the horizon. “No sense in going back to sleep now…Everyone will be awake soon.”

“Pappa!” Snufkin babbled, reaching his paws out to touch the Mumrik’s scruffy face. Joxter only smiled in return.

“Yes…That’s me, surprisingly,” the Joxter hummed, sitting down on the floor with the kitten still in his arms. He set the kit down in front of him. “You certainly are something.”

The Mumrik kit’s tail waved back and forth as he stared up at his father, a smile on his face.

“You know, Snufkin,” the Joxter began talking, going on as if Snufkin could actually understand fully what he was saying. “One day, I’ll have to leave eventually. Not now…but soon. But I’ll always be back.”

He rested a paw idly in Snufkin’s hair. “I just have to go, I can’t stay in one place for too long. Maybe you’ll understand when you’re older.” The paw that was left in his hair suddenly ruffled the brown locks and then was removed. “I’m sure you won’t miss me too much. You’ll be alright, okay?” 

Snufkin babbled. “Who am I kidding,” the Joxter laughed softly to himself, feeling rather silly. “You won’t even remember this conversation in the next five minutes.”

Snufkin began crawling over and he climbed up Joxter’s legs. He situated himself in the older Mumrik’s lap and looked up at him, reaching out his paws and making grasping motions. He wanted to be picked up. With a smile, the Joxter lifted him.

“What do you say about this, little kitten,” the Joxter hummed, lifting Snufkin behind him and placing him on his shoulders. Snufkin held onto his head for support. “Would you like to sit here? Be careful not to fall.”

The Joxter stood up with steady motions. Even though Snufkin had a tight grip on his head, he was still cautious, not wanting the kit to fall and hurt himself. He placed his paws on top of Snufkin’s knees to be extra careful. He entertained the little one, walking around with the kit on top of his shoulders as Snufkin erupted into fits of excited laughter from the ride he was being given so high up in the air. Time passed quickly as the Joxter spent time playing with his son, and in a time that felt much too quick for Snufkin, it was over, and he was being removed from his father’s back.

“Alright, that’s enough, kit,” the Joxter laughed as he cradled Snufkin again. “You’re starting to hurt my back.” When he looked down, he expected to see a loving, joyful face, but was instead met with an angry, sad, teary-eyed one.

“Hey! What’s wrong? Oh, no, Snufkin, please don’t cry,” the Joxter began hurriedly, slightly panicked. He didn’t want to end up waking the whole house with the Mumrik’s wails, but he didn’t know what to do. Luckily, the kit hadn’t started screaming yet. The baby Mumrik’s lip quivered into a pout as he looked up at his father.

The grown Mumrik tried rocking him like the Mymble mother had shown him, but it did nothing to help his upset son. “Snufkin, I’m sorry…I wish you could understand. Your Pappa still loves you.”

Brown eyes still teary, Snufkin only stared at him. His expression was more like a glare, filled with both a mixture of anger and sadness.

“Right, I know you don’t believe me. Uhh,” the Joxter looked hurriedly around the room for anything that would stop his son from bursting out into screams and wails. “How about we go outside? Enjoy the sunrise together, just you and me. Father and son bonding…and no crying has to be involved!”

Before the Mumrik kitten had the chance to even babble his father was darting out the door with him in his arms. With a sigh of relief, the Joxter walked off the porch, taking a seat in the cold, slightly-wet grass beneath him. At least now, if Snufkin started crying, it wouldn’t be heard inside the house.

“There,” the Joxter laughed awkwardly, holding his son in his arms away from his chest so he could look at him. “Isn’t that a lot better?” The answer he received was Snufkin scrambling forward in his grasp, pressing up against his chest as he clung on, a shiver running through his body. He was cold and seeking warmth.

“Right.” The grown Mumrik was quick to take off the yellow scarf around his neck and wrap it around Snufkin’s body. This seemed to make the kitten happy and he nuzzled into the comfort of the fabric, warming up instantly. “All better now, Snufkin?”

The baby Mumrik giggled with eyes closed, opening one to look up at his father. Playfully, the Joxter jabbed a finger into his side. “Hey! So now you decide you want to sleep?” 

Snufkin erupted into more giggles as the Joxter brought him up close to his face and nuzzled his nose against the kitten’s cheek affectionately. He then loosely held him in his lap and both of them looked up at the sky. 

“Look, Snufkin,” the Joxter pointed off in the distance with a smile. Snufkin followed his finger with his gaze and noticed a bright orange peeking out in the sky just over the distance. “The sun is rising. When you’re older, you’ll learn to truly appreciate the beauty of such things like this.”

The Joxter looked down at his child and laughed, noticing the open-mouthed expression of awe on Snufkin’s face. “Or maybe you already do appreciate it.”

The sun rose slowly above them and the orange color began to paint the trees ahead, shining through the leaves in rays. Eventually, the orange had reached them and painted everything golden. Snufkin’s brown eyes met the rays of light and made his eyes bright and smooth like honey.

Getting an idea, the Joxter took out something from his pocket, something he had with him at all times. He laid on his back in the grass as he brought the object up to his mouth and began to blow. The thing began to sound into the notes of a peaceful melody, catching Snufkin’s attention. Blue eyes drifted over towards his son, who had crawled over and sat down beside his head, staring at him with curiosity and a tilted head.

Joxter laughed, taking the object away from his mouth. “This is a harmonica, Snufkin,” he spoke as he waved the mouth organ towards Snufkin. “Maybe one day, I can pass it down to you when you’re old enough to play.” Snufkin didn’t seem to mind not having one, content with only listening for now.

Snufkin reached a paw forward and placed it on top of the harmonica and moved it, almost like he was pushing it back towards his father’s face. The Joxter snorted, “You want me to continue playing?” With that, he did as his son wanted and began blowing again, the same melody sounding from the little metal instrument. Snufkin curled up beside his head while he listened to his father play the strange instrument. It wasn’t long before Joxter could feel the steady rise and fall of his son’s body against the side of his head, signaling the kitten had fallen back into a light sleep. 

The Joxter had begun to feel sleepy as well, the notes the instrument sang out from his breath becoming slower and slower until they fell to a stop entirely and the grown Mumrik fell asleep on his back. The sun above them warmed their bodies as the hours of morning began, creating for a comfortable place to sleep to get away from everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think the next chapter will be the last chapter in this time period (unless I think of more ideas), so then for the chapter after the next I’m going to do a time skip maybe around 2 years or a few!
> 
> Enjoy!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During the Joxter’s and Snufkin’s nap, Snufkin seems to have wandered off. Or did he?
> 
> All the children are beginning to warm up to the idea of Joxter being a good father. They want to be his children just as much as he wants to be their father. The Joxter is still rather awkward about it, but he’s trying his best to be the best father he can be.

The littlest Mymble in the bedroom began to stir awake as the morning sunshine shone through the bedroom, seeping through her eyelids with bright light. With a sleepy grunt, she blinked her eyes open, flinching at the light as her vision adjusted. The first thing she noticed that something about the bed seemed off.

Little My sat up, looking around. Her stepfather and little brother were nowhere to be found. Had the Joxter left so early? Did he take Snufkin with him? 

“Mamma!” Little My was quick to jump up on her hind paws, running over to the sleeping form of her mother. “Mamma, Mamma! Joxter is gone and he took Snufkin!”

Mymble Jr. began to come to her senses due to the noise, peering curiously at her younger sister behind large, sleepy eyes. “Little My? What’s wrong?”

“The Joxter is gone, and Snufkin is too!”

The mother Mymble sat up with a yawn, looking at her little fretful child and the older confused one. “I’m sure he’s around somewhere, Little My,” she spoke, patting the head of the little Mymble. “He wasn’t planning on leaving this soon.”

“Where are they then?”

“Why don’t we go find them?” Mymblemamma smiled at her, patting the back of the silent Mymble Jr. and both of them moved to get out of bed, along with Little My. The three walked out of the room, quietly moving past the bedroom that held the baby Mymbles. They seemed to still be sleeping. 

“They’re not out here,” Mymble Jr. commented once they had reached the living room, still as confused as she was when she woke up. “Maybe they’re in the kitchen? Do you think Pappa made breakfast?”

“I don’t think Joxter even knows how to use a stove,” Mymblemamma joked lovingly, but went to check anyways. She came back out of the room with a small shake of her head. No luck.

Little My tapped her paws against the floorboard as she headed towards the door to the outside. She put on her boots that sat by the entrance and opened the door, looking outside. There, her eyes landed on a figure lying in the grass. 

“There he is!” Little My shouted, pointed outside. Her sister and her mother joined her at the entrance. “I don’t see Snufkin, though!”

Little My ran outside towards the Joxter while the other two followed behind at a slower pace, only walking. The little Mymble stopped at the figure of her stepfather, looking down at him. He was laying on his back, a harmonica on his chest with his hat lying next to his head on the grass. His scarf was missing.

With a frown, Little My hopped up and landed on her stepfather’s chest, startling him awake from the sudden pressure. “Wake up, lazybones! We can’t find Snufkin!”

“Huh?” Joxter murmured sleepily, still not processing much while he tried to wake himself up. Suddenly, her words processed in his mind and he sat up, panicked, causing Little My to roll off of his chest and land in his lap from the quick movement. “Snufkin?”

“Did you seriously lose him?” Little My looked up at him with a frown. The other two Mymbles gathered around them.

“What’s wrong?” Mymblemamma asked, noticing her lover’s unusual panicked expression.

“I…don’t know where Snufkin is,” Joxter admitted, looking around him. “When we fell asleep out here, he was curled up by my head, I—he must have woken up and crawled off at some point. Oh, by the Booble, what if he’s in the woods? Or, worse, what if—“

“Dear, calm down,” Mymblemamma knelt down on one knee, placing a paw on Joxter’s shoulder. She had never seen her lover so panicked before. She could only expect this, though, considering the creature wasn’t used to being a parent. “Worrying won’t help us find him. He’s small, and not that much of an explorer. He can’t have gotten far.”

“Not that much of an explorer?” Joxter wanted to exclaim, bewildered, but kept his voice down. “He’s half Mumrik, of course he’s an explorer! He could have gotten anywhere!” 

“Honey,” Mymblemamma tried again. “We’ll find him, okay? Yes, he’s part Mumrik…but he’s a very calm little one. He’s nearby. You have to trust me, okay?”

The Joxter only looked at his lover before nodding slowly. “Okay.”

“Children, start searching for your brother, won’t you?” Mymblemamma stood back up, looking at her two Mymble daughters. “Your Pappa and I will search as well.”

“Yes, Mamma!” the two Mymble daughters spoke as they hurried off in different directions. They searched at the edge of the yard, looking off into the woods ahead, searching through any bushes they came across. 

Mymblemamma helped the Joxter to his feet. The Mumrik brushed grass off his coat with a mumble, stuffing his harmonica into his pocket. He began to grumble underneath his breath. “Such an awful father. Can’t even keep up with my own child…”

The Mymble mother picked up on her lover’s murmured words and leaned down to plant a soft, delicate kiss on his forehead. “It’s quite alright, dear, you’re not awful. Nobody’s expecting you to be perfect. You’re trying.”

“Who loses their child, though?” the Joxter waved his hands as he spoke, fretful. He looked up at his larger lover, tears in those blue cat-like eyes of his. 

Mymblemamma softened. “Please don’t cry, dear,” she hummed, taking a paw and wiping her lover’s eyes. She had never seen the Joxter so…heartbroken. It was honestly such a painful sight, seeing her usually stoic lover so broken down over something.

The Joxter nuzzled his head into Mymble’s paw while she wiped his tears. “I just don’t understand,” he said, his voice hushed with sadness. “He was just by my side not that long ago. How could I have—just…how?”

The Mymble didn’t answer, only continued to wipe his eyes the more they filled with tears. They stood in silence for only a short moment, before she finally spoke. “Why don’t you grab your hat and we’ll go search for him with the children, hun,” she said to him, looking down at him with a tender expression. “We’ll find him. I promise.”

The Joxter nodded, kneeling down to pick his hat off the grass. He gasped when, the moment he lifted his hat, a form was revealed from underneath it, curled into a peaceful, little, green ball. “Snufkin!”

“Oh, my,” the Mymble mother couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her at the silliness of this situation. They had been so worried about Snufkin’s disappearance, when he had simply only crawled underneath the Joxter’s hat and had fallen asleep underneath it. Why hadn’t they thought of this before?

The Joxter stared down at his little son, the kitten still peacefully asleep, despite the ruckus that had been going on around him. His face turned slightly pink with embarrassment, flustered over making such a scene to his lover when their son had been here the whole time. Gently, he scooped the kit into his arms, careful to not wake him up. His efforts were wasted, however, when Snufkin began to wake up in his arms.

“There you are, little Snufkin!” Mymblemamma smiled down at her son, leaning over Joxter’s shoulder. “Oh, we were so worried! If only you knew all the trouble you just caused.” She poked a finger in his face, tickling his nose, making the baby laugh.

The Joxter let out a huge sigh of relief, clutching his son close to his chest, protectively. The yellow scarf he had given his son to protect him from the chilly weather of the early morning was still wrapped around his little body. He grabbed his hat again and placed it on his head. Snufkin babbled up at him, looking up at his father with a smile.

“Would you like me to carry Snufkin, dear, if you’re still feeling bad? I can—“

“No, it’s no issue,” the Joxter interrupted, his tone blunt, almost defensive. His tail flicked and he cleared his throat, changing his tone. “I’m okay, I’ve got him.”

The Mymble mother only smiled, understanding. He was just protective over their son after being scared he had just thought he’d lost him. “Alright, honey,” she hummed before turning away from him, walking off towards the edge of the yard and projecting her voice. “It’s okay to come back now, children! We found him!”

While the Mymble mother gathered her two daughters, it left Joxter standing in the yard idly, his expression unreadable, as he watched his lover. His son in his arms continued to babble at him, catching the grown Mumrik’s attention. He looked down at the child.

“You gave me quite the scare, kitten,” the Joxter couldn’t help the small smile that came across his face. “Did you know what you were doing?”

Snufkin only laughed, clapping his paws together.

“No, no, I’d take that as a no…You are much too sweet to scare your Pappa like that intentionally,” Joxter spoke softly, his hushed words only for the baby in his arms. 

“Pappa! Where did you find him?” a voice interrupted him as his eyes landed on his oldest stepdaughter, watching as his Mymble family came up to him. Mymble Jr. walked forward, smiling down at her baby brother. Snufkin babbled a greeting at her, grasping a tiny paw around one of her fingers. 

“…Under my hat.”

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding, right?” Little My’s voice sounded with shrill laughter, making the Joxter’s blush return. He tipped his hat.

“No, not at all, My,” Mymblemamma laughed, a paw covering her mouth, trying to suppress the laughter but to no luck. “You should have seen your Pappa! He was so upset!”

“Mymble…”

“Oh, I’m sorry, dear,” Mymblemamma smiled, wrapping an arm around her smaller lover, her paw resting in Snufkin’s hair. “I just can’t help myself. But you must admit, the situation is rather silly.”

“I suppose so,” the Joxter let himself smile, his blush still dusting his cheeks.

“Can we go inside? I’m starving!” Little My asked, looking up at her mother expectantly.

“I suppose it is time we should start breakfast for us and the other little ones,” Mymblemamma hummed, a paw in the middle of Joxter’s back as she lead him towards the house, followed by the two Mymble children. “Would you like to help, dear?”

“Uh. Do they…do they hunt?” Joxter asked hesitantly, genuinely wondering. The Mymble laughed.

“Of course not! Mymbles don’t hunt!”

The Joxter’s tail flicked. “They don’t eat raw meat?”

“No, dear, and before you ask, Snufkin doesn’t either,” Mymblemamma smiled warmly at him, finding his honest confusion charming. “The little ones are old enough to eat small portions of what we eat. Snufkin still has to eat things in moderation.”

The Joxter’s tail twitched again and he only nodded. He obviously had a lot to learn still. He stayed silent as the family walked into the house, watching as the two Mymble children ran ahead into the kitchen, while the Mymble mother hurried off into the hallway to wake her group of little ones. The father finally set down his Mumrik kit, watching as Snufkin began to crawl hurriedly after his sisters, before standing up on his wobbly paws and taking clumsy steps. It was obvious the Mumrik hadn’t been walking for long, and that thought was answered when he watched the little Mumrik kitten fall over, landing on his stomach. The Joxter hurried over, ready to pick him up and comfort him, but the kit only crawled on towards the kitchen without even a slight cry, standing back onto his hind paws and taking more steps. 

The Joxter watched him, a warm smile on his face, not wanting to interfere with his son’s learning. His ears twitched at a sudden sound that filled the house, the sound of children running through the house, the footsteps announcing that the little ones had awoken. His eyes locked with the group as they rushed into the living room. The Mumrik father didn’t get the chance to move when the group of Mymble kids suddenly rushed towards him, toppling him over as they hugged him. It was only an expected reaction after all—they hadn’t gotten to see him when he arrived yesterday.

The Mymble mother laughed when she appeared back in the room, noticing the sight of her lover on his back and surrounded by her children in every direction. “They’re excited to see you, dear!” she smiled. “They haven’t seen you in a while. Kids, are you ready to eat?”

Their heads turned at their mother’s last sentence and with excited shouts they got to their paws, removing themselves from their stepfather. They rushed off into the kitchen. 

“Watch out for Snufkin!” she called out to them, noticing the little kit who was trying to get towards the kitchen. Turning away from them, Mymblemamma helped her lover to his feet with a laugh. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, yes…” the Joxter answered, standing up straight. “I don’t know how you deal with them. They’re too much.”

“You’ll get used to it,” his lover assured him with a smile. “They love you, you know.”

“I can tell,” the Joxter spoke as he looked into the kitchen, seeing the little ones crowded around the counter, waiting expectantly. Little My stood on top of the counter, glaring down at them with an annoyed expression, while Snufkin had just now arrived to the room. Mymble Jr. sat in a chair at the large kitchen table. The table was large enough to accommodate their large family, enough chairs for everyone.

“Now, any ideas on what we should fix?” Mymblemamma asked warmly as the two parents walked to the kitchen.

“Soup? I mean, you know me…I don’t really pick, uh, what I eat. Just whatever I can find…”

“Soup would be nice, but not for breakfast, dear. How about pancakes?” 

The Joxter wrinkled his nose, but agreed. “Alright.”

“I’ll teach you how to make them, too,” Mymblemamma smiled. “You might even like them!”

The two entered the kitchen and their children stared at them, waiting. The Joxter could feel the eyes of his son and stepchildren burning into his skin as he had his back turned to them, watching his lover take out the needed ingredients and materials to fix the pancakes. She gently guided him through making them, her voice soft as she spoke.

“Let’s make a stack of big pancakes for us, Junior and My. A little stack of mini pancakes for the little ones…” Mymblemamma hummed as she began to pour batter to make her first pancake. The Joxter watched as it cooked, his eyes wide with curiosity, fixed on the food. The batter cooked on the pan, solidifying, and she flipped it onto its other side. She watched as she repeated this process for a few more pancakes, until she handed the stuff over to him. “Would you like to give it a try?”

The Joxter stayed silent as he took the pan and the batter. He laid the pan on the stove, pouring batter in it. It came out quick, quicker than he expected, making for a rather large pancake. He had ended up waiting a little too long to flip it so the first side ended up a little crisp around the edges and dark brown in the center. When he was finished, he put the cooked pancake onto the plate with the others.

“That was good for your first try!” Mymblemamma praised genuinely, smiling at her lover. “You’ll get the hang of it in no time! I think that’s enough of the large pancakes.”

“And for the little ones? How do you make them…mini?” the Joxter asked with a tilt of his head.

“Simple!” Mymblemamma smiled, taking the batter. She poured a little into the pan. “You use less batter!”

The Joxter watched her again, watching as she made one pancake each for all of her little children. He was mesmerized as he watched her work, impressed over such a little thing.

“Get the plates down, won’t you, dear?” Mymblemamma asked the Joxter, snapping him out of his tranced state. He nodded, grabbing glass plates from the cabinets and setting them around the table. Most chairs, including Little My’s, at the table had books sat on top of them for the little children to be able to reach their food on the table. When he was done, he returned to his lover’s side as she was finishing up. 

She set two plates full of pancakes in the middle of the table as the Mymble children rushed into their chairs. One plate was full of large pancakes while the other was full of mini ones. “Joxter, would it be too much for you to prepare the plates for the little ones?”

“Not an issue at all,” Joxter smiled at the Mymble as he began giving the little Mymble kids a mini pancake on their plate. The children stared down at their plate hungrily, but they didn’t eat. They were waiting on something.

“Here you go, kids. Take turns! Don’t create a mess,” Mymblemamma spoke as she set containers down in the middle of the table. One had butter, one had syrup, and one had honey. For once, the children actually listened, taking turns with putting what they wanted on their food. The Joxter supposed that they would listen, after all, because they knew if they got messy or sticky then it would be bath time. He didn’t blame them.

“And what will Snufkin eat?” the Joxter turned away from the children at the table, a tilt in his head.

“Come here, I’ll show you how to make it,” Mymblemamma smiled as she took some fruit out. 

“Oh, Mamma, can I make Snufkin’s food?” a little voice piped up and both parents turned to look at Little My’s devilish grin.

“I know you like to do it, My,” her mother laughed warmly. “But let your Pappa do it this once so he can learn.”

“Pff, that’s no fun,” Little My said, but didn’t protest further. She simply sat at her seat next to her sister, their plates empty as they waited, watching as her younger siblings continued to prepare their own food. They didn’t eat either, waiting for the others to join them.

“Pick a fruit, dear,” the Mymble mother hummed, showing the Joxter his options. “Raspberries? Blueberries? Bananas?”

“Uh,” the Joxter looked down, still a little confused. He touched a fruit with one of his paws. “Bananas?”

“Good choice! It’s one of Snufkin’s favorites!” She took out a little glass bowl and took out a rounded tool. Before the Joxter could ask what it was, she began to grind it against a peeled banana in the little bowl, mushing it up into a nice purée. Once it was of a nice state and texture, she set the tool aside to be washed later and put the unused fruit away. Then, she took a little spoon and set it inside the bowl of mushed bananas, taking it over to the table. She sat at the end of the table. “Joxter, can you grab Snufkin’s highchair?”

The Joxter nodded, noticing a tall wooden highchair in the corner of the kitchen. He dragged it over and sat down beside the Mymble on the opposite side of the corner of the table, setting the highchair between the two parents. The Mymble mother nodded her thanks and got up from her seat.

“Snufkin!” she called, looking around the floor for her Mumrik son. She noticed a one-of-a-kind mop of light brown hair poke out as a head peeked out from behind the counter. “It’s time to eat! Would you like some food?”

With a joyful smile, the kitten crawled towards her as his mother knelt down, her arms open. Almost to her, he stood up on his hind paws, running the rest of the way into her arms. Both of them laughed as she lifted him up into the air and brought him over towards his highchair. As she buckled him in, the kit looked over at his father next to him with a smile.

“You kids didn’t have to wait on us to eat, you know,” Mymblemamma hummed as she finished getting Snufkin settled, taking her seat.

“Everyone else was doing it,” Little My huffed as she took a large pancake from the stack.

“I thought it was polite!” Mymble Jr. piped up with a warm smile.

“The others must have been copying you, then,” Little My looked up from her food as she looked at the children who began to dig into their own. She drowned her pancake with syrup. “You are the oldest after all.”

“It was polite, thank you, Mymble,” Mymblemamma smiled at her oldest daughter. “Though I don’t expect you children to have to do that. You know I don’t mind.”

“Of course, Mamma! I just did it because I wanted to,” Mymble Jr. smiled softly as she began to eat her own food slowly.

The Joxter silently grabbed his own pancake as his lover and oldest stepdaughter spoke. He looked down at it, curiously, poking it with a paw. He decided to pour a little honey over it, taking the honey stick out of the jar and drizzling it over the food. It fell much too slow for him so, impatiently, he just took the honey jar and poured some over the pancake. When he was finished, he set it aside, back towards the younger Mymble children in case one of the little ones wanted it again. He hesitated for a short moment before he just grabbed the pancake with his paws, ignoring his metal silverware, and ate by holding the food with his two paws on either side of it, his fur becoming sticky as it matted together from the honey, his paw pads covered in the substance.

“Dear!” Mymblemamma suddenly gasped, looking at her lover with a laugh at the sight. “That’s not how you eat that!”

The Joxter only looked up at her, his mouth around his food, fangs poking out from his mouth and sunk into the slightly burnt pancake he had fixed himself. He broke away with a soft crunch, chewing and swallowing. “I don’t mind. I always eat like this anyways.”

“Oh, look at you,” Mymblemamma hummed. “Your paws are all sticky now! You’re messier than the little ones, messier than Snufkin…I was going to let you feed him, too.”

Little My and Mymble Jr. looked at their oddball of a stepfather, the little Mymble hiding herself behind a facepalm with an embarrassed groan while the older Mymble tried to suppress giggles. Snufkin seemed to be enjoying the scene as well.

“I’m a Mumrik, dear,” the Joxter couldn’t help his own laugh. “I groom myself. It’s fine.” He continued to bite into his pancake, the honey continuing to gather itself into his fur. 

Mymblemamma smiled as she took the spoon in the little bowl of mushed bananas and scooped some of the fruit into it, playfully waving it in front of Snufkin’s face. The Mumrik kitten opened his mouth expectantly and the spoon went inside as his mother fed him. “Don’t eat too fast, Joxter,” Mymblemamma spoke as she gave Snufkin his food. “You’ll get a stomachache. You’ll have time to feed Snufkin. It takes him a bit.”

The Joxter had already finished his food however and stretched. “Already done,” he spoke, comfortable and warm. He brought his paws down to his face and he began to lick through his fur, his tongue’s rough sandpaper texture brushing through it, grooming himself and ridding his paws of the sticky, sweet substance.

“Did you like your food, dear?”

“Yes, actually,” the Joxter spoke in between licks. He continued to groom himself. The little Mymble children watched him, bringing their own paws up to their faces and licking them, copying him. The Mumrik father looked up with a laugh at the baby Mymbles. He didn’t say anything as he got back to his work until his paws were clean, his fur only slightly wet and sticking up from his grooming.

“Are you done?” Mymblemamma didn’t look up from Snufkin as she spoke her question, her voice warm.

“Yes,” Joxter answered, his blue eyes fixed on his son as he watched the kitten open and close his mouth around the spoon. Mymblemamma took the spoon out from behind his closed lips and scooped more food out of the bowl, then brought it back to Snufkin’s face, repeating the process. “How do you feed him?”

“Simple, just like this,” Mymblemamma smiled. She lightly brushed the spoon along Snufkin’s lips, gathering up some food that had missed his mouth. “Don’t feed him too fast, now. He can’t eat fast or else he’ll get sick.”

The Joxter only nodded as he took the spoon. Carefully, he put it in the bowl, gathering the mushed fruit into it then bringing it towards his face. The kitten opened his mouth again and the Joxter fed him the food then brought the spoon out and gathered more from the bowl.

“Just like that!” Mymblemamma watched as her lover fed their child carefully. “Hopefully he won’t make much of a fuss when you run out.”

“He does that?” the Joxter asked, not looking up from his job as he continued to feed their kitten with steady paws.

“Oh, yes, but not all the time,” the Mymble mother hummed. “Sometimes, he just pitches a little fit. He won’t be hungry, he just likes certain foods and he gets angry when we’re finished feeding him.”

“…And you said this one was one of his favorites?”

“Yes, yes, but don’t worry too much,” Mymblemamma assured with a smile. “It doesn’t really matter. He seems fine right now. He’s not fussing in between bites if you take too long, so he should be content after this.”

The Joxter only nodded silent acknowledgement as he continued feeding the small child. Snufkin babbled in between bites, looking at his father with adoring eyes.

“Almost done, Snufkin,” the Joxter spoke to his son as he looked down into the bowl, seeing how it was almost empty. He brought the spoon back in to scoop more of the food inside. It lingered in front of Snufkin’s face and the kitten held his mouth open, expectantly. The spoon never came, however, when it was brought away from his face. The Joxter let his curiosity get the best of him when he stuck it in his own mouth, tasting the food. His face scrunched up into disgust. He usually liked fruits, but the texture and weirdness of the puréed banana was too much for him. He spat the spoon out, causing Snufkin to let out an angry wail as his food was taken from him.

“Joxter!” Mymblemamma laughed fondly, hurrying to grab the spoon that her lover had spat onto the table and she scraped it alongside the bowl, putting food into Snufkin’s mouth to ease the kitten’s anger. “You’re not supposed to eat it!”

“It’s just fruit,” the Joxter huffed with a grin on his face as he leaned back in his chair, letting his lover finish feeding their child. “Though I didn’t expect it to be like…that. It’s weird.”

“What did you expect then, dear?” Mymblemamma hummed as she finished feeding Snufkin the last bit that was left.

The Joxter laughed, tipping his hat to cover the upper half of his face. “I don’t know, actually.”

When the bowl was empty, Snufkin didn’t cry or make a fuss, seemingly perfectly comfortable with what he had been fed and wanting nothing more. Mymblemamma brought a napkin to his lips, nose, and cheeks, cleaning off the mess that was left behind while the Mumrik kit continuously moved his head around, not liking the feeling of the napkin brushing against his skin. 

“You have to get clean, Snufkin,” the Mymblemamma hummed, bringing away the napkin once the child’s pouty face was clean of any mess. She turned to her other children, both the little ones and the older ones. “Is everyone else finished?”

She received a nod of heads from the baby Mymbles, Little My, and Mymble Jr.. Mymblemamma smiled, “Good. I’ll take your plates to clean them.”

“Would you like me to help?” the Joxter stood to his feet. 

“No, it’s quite alright. Junior can help me. Why don’t you take Snufkin and watch him?”

Mymble Jr. got up from her seat and joined her mother as she helped her wash the dishes. The Joxter only nodded, taking Snufkin out of his highchair and into the living room. He was followed by a sly Little My and the other baby Mymbles followed behind their older sister.

The Joxter lazily flopped on a couch in the living room, holding Snufkin in his arms and sitting the kit down on his chest. He sat there, looking at him with a smile.

“I know you’re not planning on going to sleep again,” a mischievous voice sounded from beside him and the Joxter looked over, his blue eyes meeting the green ones of Little My, her paws propped on her hips as she looked up at him with a playful grin.

“And what if I was?” the grown Mumrik returned the playful smile, looking away from her and back at Snufkin.

“Absolutely lazy! First you fall asleep in Mamma’s lap when you first got here, then you fall asleep curled up on top of her in the bed…” Little My huffed playfully, climbing up on top of the couch, sitting on the arm of the couch above Joxter’s head. “…and then we think you’ve disappeared, but you’ve fallen asleep outside in the wet grass!”

“I was only kidding, My,” the Joxter rolled his eyes fondly. “I’m not going to go back to sleep. I’m watching Snufkin.”

“Why don’t you watch these, too,” Little My looked down to the floor and the Joxter followed her gaze, their eyes meeting the group of Mymble children that stood around below the couch. 

The Joxter sat up, moving his feet to the ground as he looked down at his little stepchildren. “Hello, little ones,” he greeted them and they blinked up at him. He wasn’t exactly sure what to do to satisfy them, but he’d take anything as long as they weren’t acting wild. “…Would you like to hear a tune?”

He took their silence as a positive answer and he took his harmonica out of his pocket, bringing it to his mouth and he blew into it, a sweet melody sounding from the metal instrument. Little My grinned, picking up Snufkin and hopping to the ground with the slightly smaller child grasped in her hold.

She put Snufkin down, holding both of his paws as she helped him stand up. “Dance with me, Snufkin!” she smiled at her little brother as she began dancing along to the tune played by the harmonica. The Mumrik kitten clumsily followed in her quick steps with babbles and shrieks of excited laughter, mostly being dragged along by her movement.

“Be careful not to let him fall, little Mymble,” the Joxter paused his playing to speak to her carefully. “He’s still learning to stand on his hind paws.”

“I’ll be careful!” Little My assured as the music picked up once her stepfather fell silent and began playing again. The little children copied what their older sister was doing, playfully dancing along to the song that the Joxter played on his mouth organ.

The Mymble mother and her oldest daughter joined the family in the living room, smiling warmly at the sight of the children dancing along to the Mumrik’s instrument. Mymblemamma took a seat next to her lover on the couch and wrapped an arm around him, bringing him close, while Mymble Jr. scooped Little My and Snufkin into her arms with a laugh, interrupting their dance.

The Joxter stopped playing his instrument. Just like that, the young Mymble children scattered as some began to play around the room while others climbed up the couch, crawling into the laps of their mother and stepfather to settle down. Either way, the Mumrik had lost their attention and they went off to do their own wild thing. The ones in their laps began to curl up for a little nap.

“You’re already finished?” the Joxter asked his lover with a curious tilt of his head.

“Yes! I learned to work fast when I have to clean all the little one’s dishes every day,” Mymblemamma laughed. “Plus, I had excellent help.”

“Always, Mamma,” Mymble Jr. smiled, her two little siblings clinging to her chest as she held them in her arms. She carried Snufkin and My to the other side of the room to play with them.

The Joxter hummed, shifting his position on the couch as he leaned slightly on his lover. “I don’t know how you do it, Mymble.”

“What ever do you mean?”

“Provide for all these children,” he answered. “Meanwhile, I didn’t even know you were…going to have one of my own until a month after he was born.” His tone was rather strange, almost self-depreciative. 

Mymblemamma hummed. “You know I don’t mind, dear, I know you. I know you come and go, and I don’t hold it against you.”

The Joxter sighed softly. Comfortable silence ran between the two of them until the Mumrik spoke up again, changing the topic slightly. “…You think Moomin and Muddler have had kids yet? I wonder how they’re handling.”

“Well, Moomin did meet that nice little Moominmaiden after he saved her…” the Mymble mother hummed in thought, thinking back to times from not too long ago. 

“Yeah. Fell for her instantly, yeesh,” the Joxter laughed fondly, in thought of his old best friend.

“And Muddler fell for Fuzzy almost immediately.”

“Hey, maybe Snuf could meet whatever kids Moomin and the Muddler have. Think they would get along?”

“Well, you three got along, didn’t you?” 

“Of course! They were my best friends,” the Joxter smiled to himself, imagining all the past adventures him, Moomin, and Muddler had. Sometimes, he still longed for those days, but they all had separate lives now. Instead, he imagined an older Snufkin in his place, with a Moomin child and a child of the Muddler’s. “I can see it now. Snufkin will surely have adventures with the other children.”

“Wouldn’t that be a delight,” the Mymble mother smiled as Joxter nodded. “Maybe the other children could go along with him. I know Little My would want to.”

“Yes, yes, the future is bright for our children.” 

Mymblemamma smiled, happy to see her lover starting to warm up to the idea of being a father. Suddenly, an idea came across her head. It was something that would definitely bring him closer to the children and help build his relationship and status as their father. “Why don’t you tell the children of your stories from your adventures?”

“Well, I’m no Moomin…” the Joxter hummed, sitting up. “He used to always record our adventures in a journal, told us something about writing a book later, but okay. I’ll say what I remember.”

The Mumrik was actually excited about the idea the more he thought about it as the two parents called the children over. The ones that were on their lap woke up while the others came close. Little My, Snufkin, and Mymble Jr. gathered around as well, curious as to what the Joxter wanted.

“Would you kids like to hear a story of all my adventures?” the Joxter asked them, earning excited shouts from the little ones. With a chuckle, he began to speak, his voice projecting across the otherwise silent room. “Well, one lazy morning I was wondering through the woods. I thought I’d been completely alone, but I ran into this creature…very nice man, and his rather timid nephew. I learned they were building a boat! I stuck around, and the boat was almost finished, when the man met another very nice creature…”

Hours and hours passed as the Mumrik finished the story of all the adventures he’d ever had, leading up to here. Some of the baby Mymbles were asleep while others had stayed awake through the full thing, listening intently. Joxter was beginning to feel tired himself and rather worn out from all the speaking without any breaks.

“Where are your friends now, Pappa?” Little My asked her stepfather with a tilt to her head.

“I don’t know, My,” he answered honestly with a yawn. 

“Do you think we’ll ever see them again?”

“Surely one day. Just not now. I’m sure they’re settling into a new life just like I am.”

Mymblemamma hummed, running a paw through the dark brown locks of Joxter’s hair. “I’m sure we’ll see them again one day. It was a wonderful story, dear.”

“Yeah. I’m beat now, though.”

Mymblemamma sighed softly, planting a kiss on his forehead. “I’m going to go fix dinner for the children. Will you be leaving soon?”

“Later tonight,” he hummed, leaning into the kiss on his forehead. He sat up to give her a kiss as well on her cheek. “Is that alright with you? You know I must go…But I’ll be back very soon.”

“Of course,” Mymblemamma smiled and she stood up straight, heading off into the kitchen to prepare dinner. Little My hurried after her, either wanting to help, or just to watch closely at what she was doing.

The Joxter sprawled himself lazily across the whole couch. He was about to doze off when he sensed the presence of someone standing over him and he opened up his eyes, blue eyes meeting the soft, light teal ones of his oldest stepdaughter.

“Pappa?”

“Mymble?” Joxter prompted, sitting up slightly, patting the space beside him on the couch. “Is something wrong?”

Mymble Jr. silently took a seat beside him, with a slight awkward bit of space in between them. She was silent until she finally spoke, “…Do you have to leave so soon?”

The Joxter hummed softly, understanding. “Yes, dear.”

“But…You just got here!”

“I know. But you know I move around. Before you know it, I’ll be back!”

“Will we ever get to spend time together?”

That question took the Joxter by surprise, shocked with the realization that came to him. He wasn’t the only one who wanted to build a status and a relationship. The kids wanted to be his children just as much as he wanted to be their father. He was sure even Little My had the same mindset, though she’d never show it. A smile formed on his face and he hummed, “Of course. How about next time I visit? I’ll plan to stay longer.” 

Mymble Jr. had a small smile as well. “Okay, Pappa.”

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound the Mymble mother calling out for everyone to come eat because dinner was ready. Everyone went into the kitchen, taking seats while the Mymble mother fixed bowls of soup for everyone. Snufkin, once again, got puréed fruit, but this time it was a mixture of bananas and strawberries.

Everyone sat at the table and ate while Mymblemamma switched between eating her own food and feeding Snufkin who was sitting in her lap. Wanting to help, the Joxter took his bowl of soup and lifted it into the air, downing all of it and setting down his now empty bowl. Some of the little Mymble children noticed him and both boys and girls alike copied his actions, albeit messily, spilling bits of soup down the fronts of their dresses. The Mymble mother only laughed fondly and didn’t protest as she handed Snufkin over to the Joxter. She would need to give the little ones a bath later on. They needed one anyways, but now they needed it even more so. 

The Joxter took Snufkin in his lap and began to feed him the rest of his fruit, bouncing the little kitten slightly on his leg. When he was finished, once again, he didn’t make a fuss, happily content with the amount he received. While the Mymble mother washed dishes with Little My, the Joxter offered to bathe the little ones and Snufkin with the help of Mymble Jr.. 

When it was all finished, it was time for him to go.

The Mymble family stood in the living room with the Joxter as he stood in front of the door, his stuff packed into a bag on his back. He couldn’t leave yet, considering the predicament he was in right now. A little Mumrik kitten was curled up tight in his arms, clinging on with all the strength he could manage, wailing and crying into the fabric of his clothes. The Joxter only shushed him, patting his back and bouncing him softly in his arms in a rhythm, trying to sooth the kit. Snufkin must have figured out that the Joxter had to leave again and didn’t want him to go.

“I’ll be back soon, Snufkin, I promise,” the Joxter cooed to his son, gently prying him away from his chest. He looked into the weepy eyes of his child. “I’ll be back before you even know it, okay? You won’t even know I ever left.”

Snufkin only sniffled, looking at his Pappa with tears in his brown eyes. Slowly, Joxter handed off the child to Mymblemamma, who took him into her loving arms.

“Be safe, Pappa, okay?” Mymble Jr. asked, her hands clasped behind her back as she rocked back and forth on her hind paws.

Joxter leaned down slightly to her level and smiled at her, placing a kiss on her forehead. “Of course.”

He moved over and knelt down in front of Little My, the little Mymble staring at him with the expected usual expression she always had. What he didn’t expect was for her to run forward and wrap her arms around his neck, pulling him into a tight hug. “I’ll miss you,” she spoke, her voice slightly muffled by his clothes. The Joxter smiled and returned the embrace, then pulled away from her to kiss her forehead as well.

“I’ll miss you too, Little My,” he hummed. “How could I not?”

He didn’t get to say anything else when he was suddenly surrounded by little children hugging him where he knelt. He smiled down at the little Mymble children and kissed the top of as many heads as he could. He ruffled their hair and stood up, walking over to his lover as she held their child.

“I’ll be back,” he spoke softly as he kissed the top of Snufkin’s head. The Mumrik kitten had calmed down but was still obviously upset. However, at least he wasn’t crying anymore.

“Return soon, dear,” Mymblemamma hummed softly to her lover as she leaned down to plant her lips on his own in a quick, tender peck. “Don’t get into too much trouble now.”

“I can’t promise that,” he joked with a grin and the Mymble returned the smile fondly. He tipped his hat as he opened the door. “Bye now, I’ll be back soon. I love you all.”

The Mumrik’s own last words surprised him and before anyone had the chance to say anything else, he rushed out the door, already darting for the woods up ahead of him. He was feeling slightly overwhelmed with all the interaction, and he just needed time to himself. Soon, though, he would be back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was fun to write! Next chapter, there will be a timeskip of about a year or two!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Joxter, despite promising his return, never came back. Two years later since his last appearance, his children are not handling the days well as they start to miss him more and more. Little My has to comfort Snufkin and his anger and sadness while also dealing with her own, trying to distract both of them from the hurt they feel.
> 
> Eventually, the Joxter does return. But will Snufkin forgive him immediately?

The sound of shouting filled a house as two little children fought. A little Mumrik kit was pressing all his weight up against a door in attempt to not let his sibling inside, but to no luck. The child stumbled forward as the door was pushed open when the older kid kicked at it, allowing entrance.

The tap of little boots filled the room as the child that had been on the other side of the door stomped in, paws on her hips. 

“Little My!” the Mumrik kit hissed at the intruder, the tiny tufts of fur on the back of his neck standing up straight. His voice was high and childish with a slight odd, innocent way of how he dragged his words out, showing his very young age and short lived experience with speech. 

“I don’t care that you’re angry,” Little My hissed back, walking towards her brother. “Snufkin, you can’t keep Mamma’s whole room to yourself! I want some peace and quiet too!”

“Leave!” the kit, Snufkin, hissed again, his tail lashing in annoyance and anger. He pointed a finger at the door with drawn out claws. “Leave me alone! I want to be left alone!”

Little My unsheathed her claws as well, clenching her paws. They’d never use their claws against each other, it was more of an intimidation tactic. Neither of them were backing down from each other, though. 

“Like I said,” Little My began, her voice oddly quiet and calm before she raised it into an annoyed shout. “I don’t care if you’re angry! How do you think I feel? He’s my Pappa too just as much as he is yours!”

Snufkin backed down a little, thinking about the situation that caused this. The Mumrik kit could still remember the days back in his early kittenhood, thinking of when his father, the Joxter, had come to visit them. It was the first time he could remember clearly. During the time, the kitten was beginning to learn how to walk and he only knew a few words and mostly some babbles. He remembered being upset when the grown Mumrik left, but he felt hope when he promised a return.

That was around two years ago. That was the last time he had seen him. 

Mymblemamma didn’t seem to mind, though he had to admit he would be lying if he said he couldn’t see the disappointment and longing that seeped through her actions every once in a while. Mymble Jr. was sad as well but kept up with her usually happy-go-lucky attitude, even if it was partially only to keep up the high hopes of her younger siblings. The other young Mymble children barely showed they cared, if they did at all, while they kept up their wild spirits as they played. Maybe it was a form of distraction for them from the sadness of their only father figure not returning.

That left Little My and Snufkin, who only grew angrier and angrier with the passing days. They wanted to see their Pappa again, but to no luck. The grown Mumrik never came back.

Little My used this moment of hesitation that Snufkin showed to wrestle him down to the ground. “Stop acting like a little brat,” she grinned down at him as he tried to kick her off but his efforts were useless. “You’re going to share the room. If you want to be completely alone then go somewhere else! But both you and I know you’re not going to find any peace with those little bugs of our other siblings running around.”

Snufkin stopped struggling underneath her, laying flat on his back. She took it as his surrender and got up, but wasn’t surprised and almost expected it when the kit shot to his feet and began to try and push her towards the door to kick her back out of the room. In his efforts, the little Mymble kicked the door shut behind her. The movement made the Mumrik lose his balance and the two of them toppled over.

“It’s useless, Snufkin!” Little My grumbled, standing up on her feet. She brushed her dress down. “You know I’m just as stubborn as you. Give it up, won’t you? I won’t bother you if you’re that mad.”

Snufkin glared up at his older sister from the ground until he got to his feet as well. He stood about two inches taller than her. The little Mymble had seemingly stopped growing, much to her annoyance. Despite being smaller, though, she proved to still be stronger than him for right now. 

Little My continued to brush dust off her red dress, then she turned to brush Snufkin’s green one as well. “We’ll just be sharing a space. You don’t have to throw a baby fit about it.” Her tone was calm and oddly caring. Despite their earlier fight, both of them knew why exactly they were upset, so they still very obviously cared for each other. They just got on each other’s last nerve in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Snufkin’s cheeks puffed out in a pout, the hair on his head puffing up as well and bristling. “I wanted to be alone,” he huffed. Tears began to sting his eyes, burning hot with anger.

“Yeah? Well me too,” Little My frowned, then she looked up from her work with fixing Snufkin’s dress and noticed the teary brown eyes of her little brother. “Aw, come on, really? Don’t cry, Snuf.”

“…I want Pappa back.”

Little My softened. She sighed, “I do too. But there’s not anything we can do.” Snufkin only nodded his head sadly along to her words, his gaze pointed towards the floor, almost shamefully.

“As I was saying earlier, though. We have to share the same place, but both of us will be alone. In the same room. You won’t even know I’m here.”

“No, stay close,” Snufkin suddenly said as he crawled up on his mother’s bed. “…Please?”

Little My tilted her head in confusion but followed him, climbing up on the bed as well. The Mumrik kit darted underneath the blankets, sitting underneath them. Little My followed him underneath, sitting across from him. “…Are you saying we just fought over something only for you to change your mind?”

The Mumrik kit couldn’t help but giggle softly, though there was still a hint of sadness behind it. “Maybe.”

Little My huffed with a fond roll of her eyes. “I don’t know what I expected from you.”

“I’m sorry for being mean, big sister,” Snufkin leaned forward, wrapping his arms around her for an apologetic hug. Little My’s arms stayed by her side for a moment before she brought them up as well, returning the embrace. 

“Yeah, yeah, don’t get too soft now,” she joked. She was genuine when she continued, “I’m sorry too, Snufkin.” Little My was honestly grateful for just how sweet her little brother was, despite the occasional meltdown. It had to take a lot for him to get angry, though.

“Do you think Pappa will come back?”

Little My struggled for a response. She didn’t know the grown Mumrik too well to really be able to say an exact answer. She wanted to give her brother the answer he wanted to hear, though she didn’t know how truthful it would be.

“…Yes, I know he will,” she lied anyways, doubting her own words. Snufkin didn’t seem to notice the bluff that seeped through her own fangs when he pulled away from the hug, beaming at her with wide eyes and a joyful expression.

“Really?”

“Of course,” Little My gave an awkward smile, beginning to feel awful. Oh, how angry Snufkin would be when the future would come only to disappoint the kitten. She had a small feeling that things wouldn’t look too good for the kit. The most she could do right now is try to distract him from his sadness as much as possible. “Want to play?”

Snufkin looked at her, confused. “I thought you wanted to be left alone?”

Little My rolled her eyes and smiled, lifting a paw and ruffling the brown locks. “Am I not allowed to spend time with my baby brother?”

Snufkin huffed when Little My grabbed his round cheeks, stretching them playfully and pinching them. He scrunched up his face and tried to move his head away from her grasp, but with no luck. “I am not a baby!”

“Snuf, you’re three. Almost four,” Little My laughed. “I’m nine. You’re still a baby to me.” 

“I’m taller than you,” Snufkin stuck his tongue out at her. He stood up on his hind paws and puffed his head out proudly, the blanket above their head lifting when he stood, being held up by the top of his head.

Little My rolled her eyes and grinned, “Brat.” She grabbed his little legs and pulled at him, making the kit fall over on his backside. “Just wait, I’ll continue growing one day! One day, I’ll be just as big as Mamma, and you’ll be as short as Pappa!”

Snufkin giggled, his tail waving with focus when he suddenly launched himself forward, playfully pouncing on his sister. He wrestled her on his back and stared down at her with a grin. “You wish! You’ll always be little!” 

Little My grinned as well, sitting up and pushing her brother off. “Yeah, yeah, suppose we’ll see one day.”

Snufkin got off of her, sitting up on his knees. “What did you want to play?”

“What about…hide and seek?” 

Snufkin shook his head. “We would more so be hiding from the others more than we would each other.”

Little My tapped a finger against her chin in thought. “What about…” her face suddenly lit up with excitement as she got an idea. “Oh! How about we build a blanket fort!”

Snufkin shared her excitement as he beamed at her. “That sounds like fun! Let’s go get Mymble to help us!”

Little My dipped from out of the blanket on their mother’s bed and her brother followed him. The little Mymble grabbed ahold of the comforter on the top of the bed and began to pull it off with all the strength she could manage. “Do you think Mamma would mind if we borrow this?”

“Surely not,” Snufkin answered as he began to help. Little My opened the door to the room and got under the blanket. Together, her and Snufkin began to walk along with the blanket over the top of their heads, dragging it along. They couldn’t see anything, but they both knew the layout of the house well enough.

They made their way to the kitchen, hearing the sound of humming and clanking in the room. Snufkin bumped right into something, making him stumble back.

“Oh, my,” the voice of their mother sounded from above them and she looked down, looking at a little bump underneath the blanket on the floor that had run into her leg. With a small smile, she knelt down, lifting the blanket to see Snufkin and Little My underneath. She laughed softly. “What ever are you two doing?”

“Blanket fort, Mamma!” Snufkin chirped happily, beaming up at his mother. “Would you like to help us?” 

“Oh, I would love to, Snufkin,” she smiled as she stood back up straight, returning to her work that she was doing in the kitchen. “But I am quite busy right now.”

“With what, Mamma?” came Little My’s voice, padding forward to stand by her brother.

“I’m baking a pie for all of us!”

“Oh, a pie!” Snufkin grinned, eyes widening. “What kind, Mamma?”

“Raspberry pie! Is that alright with you two?”

“Oh, yes, Mamma!” Snufkin nodded his head ecstatically, his mouth watering. 

“Pie is pie,” Little My grinned, excited herself to have the food. For now, though, she wanted to get back to the fort. “Do you know where Mymble is?”

“Junior? Hmm…Last I saw her, she was in her room.”

“Thanks, Mamma. We’ll be back. You don’t mind if me and Snuf leave the blanket here until we get back, do you?”

“Of course not. Run along, you two.”

With shared giggles, the two siblings ran off to their oldest sister’s room. Her door was closed. Snufkin reached his hand up to politely knock on the door when Little My went ahead and began to bang her fists on the door, giggling devilishly. 

They heard hurried footsteps on the other side and the oldest Mymble daughter opened her door, looking down at her smaller siblings. “Oh! Little My, Snufkin, is something wrong?”

“What’re you doing?” Little My asked, her paws clasped behind her back, an innocent tilt to her head.

“Reading, My. Do you need something?” Mymble Jr. smiled at her.

“Reading? That’s boring!” Little My grinned, hopping up to grab her sister’s paws in her own, making the taller Mymble lean down slightly. “Come help me and Snufkin build a big ol’ blanket fort! You can read in there!” 

“Okay,” Mymble Jr. nodded, excited, already up for the idea. It didn’t take much to convince her to spend time with her siblings. “Do you have any ideas?” 

“Grab the top blanket from your bed,” Little My grinned. “Mamma’s letting us use her’s, too. With how many chairs are in the kitchen, we can build a huge fort! It can go all throughout the house!”

Mymble Jr. nodded, pulling her sheet off the bed and she followed her siblings through the hallway as they led her to the kitchen.

“Mamma’s making pie!” Snufkin piped up as they walked through the hallway, looking back at her with a large grin. “Raspberry pie!”

“Oh, sounds yummy!” Mymble Jr. smiled back at him, a paw on her cheek. The three entered the kitchen, passing their other siblings along the way, and she looked over at her mother, running to her side. “Hi, Mamma!” 

“Hello, dear,” Mymblemamma looked over at Mymble Jr.. “Are you helping your brother and sister?”

“Yes, Mamma,” she responded with a smile. 

“Mamma! Mamma!” Snufkin piped up, running over to the kitchen chairs. His loud, childish and cute voice caught the attention of the mother. “Can we borrow all of these?”

“Well, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt! Have fun, dears.”

“Thank you, Mamma! We won’t get in your way,” Mymble Jr. smiled, taking a hold of a chair and taking it in the living room. Snufkin and Little My both grabbed onto a chair as well and pushed it along together, following their oldest sister.

They worked as quickly as they could, setting up chairs in the living room. They arranged it to where there was a circle of chairs and then the chairs began to branch off into the hallways, which would form tunnels once blankets were placed on top. In total, they had forty chairs—enough for the whole family with some extra ones.

Their group of siblings watched them curiously as they worked. Once they had finished placing all the chairs, Little My walked up to the group with her paws on her hips, looking at them. “Okay, listen! If you want to be allowed in our fortress, then go grab your blankets and help us cover the whole thing! I rule this fort so you’ll listen to me!”

Mymble Jr. giggled and nudged an elbow into Little My’s side.

The group of children ran off with smiles on their faces as they ran to their bedroom. They grabbed blankets off the various beds and grabbed any sheets they had and brought them to their three siblings. Every sibling began to place blankets on top of the chairs, making a ceiling for the blanket fort. They placed blankets along the tunnel of chairs that went through the hallway. Once they were finished, every sibling stood back, admiring their work.

Snufkin was the first to run forward with an excited laugh, diving into the main part of the fort. “Needs pillows!” His siblings agreed as they ran off into bedrooms, grabbing pillows off of beds, and bringing them back to throw them inside the fort. The rest of the siblings went inside the fort around Snufkin.

With a grin, Mymble Jr. picked Snufkin up and hugged him tight and the Mumrik kit returned the embrace with a purr. She let him go when every sibling perked at the sound of footsteps in front of the fort. The blanket that covered the entrance was drawn up to reveal the Mymble mother, a large pie held up in the tray in her paws. It was large enough for each child including her to get a slice and still leave a little left over. “Am I allowed in here?”

“Of course, Mamma!” Snufkin piped up. 

“Hey, I’m in charge here!” Little My puffed out her chest playfully. “You can come in, Mamma!”

The Mymble mother smiled as she went inside, setting the pie down so she could come in with the rest of her children. She sat along the back and her children crowded around her lovingly.

“My, my, it sure is roomy in here,” she spoke softly, in genuine awe at the spacious fort. Thank the Booble for the many blankets and chairs they had to create such a thing. The mother leaned forward, grabbing ahold of the pie she had laid down. “Would someone like to grab some plates and silverware? We can eat in here, if you’d like.”

“I’ll do it, Mamma,” Mymble Jr. offered as she got up on her knees and crawled out, standing up once she got outside. She headed into the kitchen and began to grab little plates and forks, and then grabbed a knife to cut the pie. She carefully carried everything into the living room and knelt down, setting the stuff down in front of her inside the fort. The Mymble mother looked up with a smile and grabbed the plates and forks as well as the cutting knife. She began to make little slices into the pie, putting them onto the plates and handing them off to her little ones.

“Don’t eat too fast, now,” Mymblemamma hummed with a smile as she handed off fixed plates. “And try not to be too messy.”

Each of the Mymble children ate what they were given with content smiles on their faces. “It’s good, Mamma!” Snufkin grinned, his mouth full when he spoke.

“Isn’t it?” Mymblemamma hummed as she took a bite from her own plate. “This is a very nice fort. How long do you plan to keep it up?”

“Forever!” Little My grinned.

“As long as you’ll have it up, Mamma,” Mymble Jr. corrected, giving Little My a playful glance.

“I think I could rather get used to this,” Mymblemamma hummed, looking around. “As much as I’d love to keep it up, we’ll have to take it down eventually.”

“Not tonight, Mamma!” Snufkin climbed into her lap, looking up at her with pleading eyes.

“Of course not,” Mymblemamma smiled, running a paw through his brown hair. “We’ll keep it up for a few days. How does that sound?”

“Okay, Mamma,” Snufkin nodded. “That’s okay.”

“My, my, you’re messy,” she looked down at her Mumrik son, red around his mouth from the pie. She then looked at all her children and they had about the same mess. Mymble Jr. had the least, but even she wasn’t exempt from the messiness. She did wipe it away with her paw, though, and was the only one to do so. Mymblemamma hummed, “I believe it’s time everyone needs a bath, yes?”

“No, Mamma!” Snufkin looked up at her with wide eyes. “Not tonight!” 

“Oh, you know I can’t resist those eyes, Snufkin…” Mymblemamma sighed warmly, looking into his large, loving eyes. “Okay, you win, but you’re bathing tomorrow, alright?” For now, she took a paw and wiped his mouth off, smiling when the kit nuzzled his face into her paw.

“That’s not fair, Mamma!” Little My frowned. The Mymble mother smiled at her.

“Would you rather him run and hide and force us to find him? Or throw a fit?”

“I suppose not…”

“I wouldn’t fight, Mamma!” Snufkin smiled up at her.

“I know you well enough to know that isn’t true,” Mymblemamma laughed, ruffling her son’s hair. She moved to get up and leave the tent. “Go ahead and go bathe, won’t you, Junior? Then, Little My, you can go next. I’ll bathe the little ones afterwards. Drain the water when you’re done!”

“Yes, Mamma,” the two voices sounded, Mymble Jr.’s voice filled with joy while Little My’s was more so a groan. The two sisters made their way through the tunnel, heading out the other end. 

Mymblemamma gathered up empty plates and silverware, as well as the pie tray that still had leftovers, and stood up straight. “Come along, children,” she called for them. Before she left for the kitchen, she looked inside the fort, peering at Snufkin with a smile. She winked. “Hold up the fort while we’re gone, won’t you, dear?”

Snufkin nodded, already committed to his task. “Yes, Mamma!”

With a soft laugh, the Mymble mother began to head to the kitchen to store away the leftovers and clean the dishes. Her little Mymble children hurried after her, leaving Snufkin alone. He quickly drew the blankets shut when everyone was gone, closing himself off from the room outside. He drew his knees up to his chest, sitting there, looking around.

Everything was quiet as he blocked out the sounds around him. He fixed his gaze on a spot in the fort. Being left alone to his thoughts, slight sadness began to take over him. He tried to imagine his father next to him, lazing about in the fort. He was sure his Pappa would love it. It was a little enclosed space, perfect for a Mumrik when they just wanted to get away from everything. With a smile, Snufkin tried to imagine the things that his Pappa would say to him right now. How much he loved the fort, how much he loved Snufkin, how much he appreciated him, and just idly chatting with him, or maybe he would even play his harmonica. Snufkin tried to imagine the sweet tune that his father would probably play to lull the little kit to sleep, and the Joxter would scoot close, allowing the kitten to curl up next to him while the grown Mumrik fell asleep not long after, lying close to his child.

Except the Joxter wasn’t here right now. He hadn’t been here for a long time. The harsh realization came back into Snufkin’s mind, and just like that, the imagery of the Joxter next to him in his imagination faded like dust blowing in the wind. Snufkin wiped at his eyes with the sleeve of his dress, not allowing the tears that formed to slip out. He wouldn’t cry, he was better than this. His eyes became red and puffy and his throat hurt from holding back tears, but he tried to ignore it all.

For now, he appreciated the alone time, even though he missed his Pappa a great deal. He missed the way his father would look at him like his son was one of the things that made his entire world. He missed the tunes that the Joxter would play for him and the other children. He missed knowing that he could fall asleep in any weird place, like outside in the grass, and knowing he’d be safe as long as his Pappa was around.

He just missed him. Everyone did.

Snufkin’s ears perked and his tail flicked at the sound of his mother’s voice, calling for her children so she could bathe them, signaling that his two older sisters had already taken their own individual baths. He silently wondered if his sisters would join him while their mother bathed the little ones. He couldn’t tell if he wanted to be alone, or if he wanted their company.

He didn’t have the chance to decide, however, when he heard a soft voice outside the fort.

“Snufkin?” it asked. It was Mymble Jr.. “Can I come in?” She was only met with silence.

Snufkin thought she’d go away, but she only pulled back the blankets, revealing the little Mumrik kitten sitting inside. He could see that Little My was behind their oldest sister. Mymble Jr. got down on her knees and crawled in, noticing Snufkin’s red eyes and giving him a look of concern. “Snufkin? Have you been crying?”

“No…” Snufkin murmured, a sniffle following his sentence, calling out his bluff if his eyes weren’t painfully obvious enough. Mymble Jr. only sighed understandingly, sitting close to her little brother. Little My came in as well, although she was silent. Both sisters had a good idea of what their brother was upset about. 

“Snufkin, I can tell you have been. Do you want to talk about it?”

“I just…” Snufkin bit his quivering lip, struggling on his words. “I miss Pappa.” Silence spread through the three and Mymble Jr. wrapped an arm around the small form of her little brother.

“I know, Snufkin,” she sighed, trying to comfort him. “We do too.”

“Will he ever come back?”

“Yes, soon enough…”

Snufkin fell silent after that, leaning on his sister. Through the silence, they could hear their mother off in another room, bathing her children. 

“Mamma is going to come fix dinner soon,” Mymble Jr. spoke suddenly, looking down at her little brother as she twirled a finger in his longish hair. “Would you like something special to cheer you up?”

“No, thanks…” Snufkin shook his head solemnly. “I’ll eat what she makes.”

With that, they heard the call of their mother as she finished with the children and began to make her way to the kitchen, the group following close behind. Mymble Jr. and Little My gave Snufkin a small, sad glance before they got up to join their mother. They urged him to come along but the Mumrik kitten stayed behind. He didn’t come for dinner when it was fixed, either, despite saying he would eat.

Snufkin listened to the chatter from his mother and all of his siblings in the kitchen. They’d have to eat while standing up, and he imagined they were all standing comfortably around the counter, because the fort had the kitchen chairs. He knew they’d never truly be comfortable, though, knowing they were missing two family members. One who was around, but missing out because of the second one’s disappearance. Snufkin only buried his head in his knees as he hugged them to his chest, bringing his paws around his ears and attempting to block out all noise.

It felt like hours had passed, but it was only about one hour at most, when Mymblemamma opened the front to the fort. “Snufkin?” she spoke with a soft voice, warm and smooth like honey, laced with concern for her youngest. “It’s time for bed—are you sure you don’t want to eat?”

“I’m okay, Mamma,” the kitten responded, his voice filled with sadness. 

“Would you like to sleep with me? It’ll be just us, you won’t have to worry about Little My or the others.” 

That was a huge signal that she wanted to talk to Snufkin alone, he got that much. Snufkin only nodded his head, crawling over to the entrance to the fort and reaching his arms out. His mother knelt down and lovingly picked him up, carrying him off to her bed. The others had already gone off to sleep, and they were most likely the only ones awake.

Mymblemamma got in bed, still holding her youngest child. She laid down and pulled the kit in her arms into a tight embrace, hugging him. “Tell me what’s wrong, baby,” she spoke finally, her voice very soft spoken and tender. “You’ve been upset all day.”

“I want Pappa to come back,” Snufkin answered her concerns, his voice muffled as he nuzzled his face into her shoulder.

Mymblemamma sighed, “I know. I do too, dear. I miss him. Though, you children are not used to his…schedule, and I do not blame you.”

Snufkin lifted his head, blinking away tears. “This isn’t the first time he’s done this?”

“No…Your father likes to move around. Can’t stay in one place for too long, he’s constantly coming and going. I tell him he needs to try and settle down, but…he says he can’t. And it’s okay, I understand. But it’s obviously become an issue when…well, he has kids now. Kids who know of his presence and want to be around him.”

Snufkin sniffled. “Next time he comes back, do you think he’ll stay, Mamma?”

Mymblemamma smiled. “I’ll talk to him, would you like that?”

Snufkin nodded, returning the smile, although it was sad. “Yes, Mamma. Thank you.”

Mymblemamma nodded, hugging her child again. “Go to sleep now, okay? Today’s been a long day for you and you should get some rest.” 

All Snufkin could manage was a sleepy nod as he began drifting off where he lay. He fell into a light sleep in the arms of his mother.

 

Snufkin startled awake with a strong jolt, being awoken by a nightmare. He shivered, cold and sweaty. He was still where he had fallen asleep. He looked down at his mother and she was in a deep sleep. Not wanting to disturb her and wake her up, he quietly moved off of her and hopped off the bed. From a drawer in her room, he got a flashlight, and hopped up to open the door. Quietly, he shut it behind him. He flicked the flashlight on and padded through the hallway before he entered in his fort through the tunnel that ran down the hallway. He just wanted to go back in his fort and escape it all. He felt at peace there.

He made his way to the main part of the fort and situated himself, thinking back to the nightmare that had put him in this place to begin with. He had dreamt that he was playing with his father. His father took the little child along on one of his journeys in the woods. At some point, they had gotten separated. Snufkin could hear the calls of his name from the Joxter in his dream, growing more and more distant. He had tried to yell back, but couldn’t even hear his own voice, as he was surrounded by terrors in the woods until fear swallowed him completely, suffocating him, blocking his mouth so he couldn’t scream and blocking his ears so that he couldn’t hear the calls. That was when he woke up, terrified, and sweating.

Snufkin frowned to himself. In perspective, the dream felt very silly, but to him it was extremely real. He couldn’t help that he had felt scared.

His thoughts were interrupted when a sound filled his ears. It sounded like a clatter, or a rustling, he couldn’t tell over the sudden sound of his own heartbeat pounding in his chest from fear. He shouldn’t be hearing these types of sounds at night. He figured maybe Little My had gotten up, but he had a strange feeling. Despite his fear, Snufkin picked up his flashlight with trembling paws, flicking it off to not alert the intruder of his presence. As quiet as possible, he crawled out of the fort and got up on his hind paws, tip-toeing to the kitchen. When he stood in the entrance, he could see a large shadowy figure in the kitchen, on top of the counter. It must have snuck in through the window in the room. His paws still trembling, he steadied the flashlight as much as he could and flicked it on, pointing it towards the dark figure.

The light of the flashlight reflected off of large, startled eyes, and Snufkin almost shrieked in fear. Not wanting to figure out what the creature was, he dropped the flashlight and it fell to the floor with a loud clatter. He tried to run away but the large figure had been quick to hop off the counter and grab him. Snufkin was surprised when the grasp on him was actually gentle, and not the harsh grip he had expected from the creature who was about to attack him.

Except the creature never did attack, only stared down at him, wordlessly.

“Snuf?” the creature finally spoke, its voice familiar.

With shaking paws, Snufkin reached over to grab the flashlight he had dropped and shined it up in the face of the unknown creature. The creature’s eyes reflected again. From the light, he could spot familiar fangs, and a familiar scruffy face—or more scruffier than before—with familiar dark, messy hair. And, of course, the red hat.

The Joxter.

“Watch out with the light, son,” the voice came again, sounding in a grumble as the Mumrik sat back on his haunches. He took a finger and gently poked the flashlight in the child’s grasp, moving it only slightly so the light wasn’t aimed directly into his eyes.

“Snufkin…You’ve gotten taller, kitten.” 

Snufkin only stared up at him, silently, an embarrassed blush dusting his cheeks and his expression scrunched into anger.

“You still aren’t talking? I’d thought you’d surely be speaking by now. Suppose you’re just a quiet little one…”

“You left me!” Snufkin suddenly wailed, hot tears of rage burning his eyes. His sudden outburst took his father by surprise and he leaned back more on his haunches, his fur bristling in shock. “You left me, Pappa! You said you’d be back and you never came back! I hate you!”

The Joxter only stayed silent, unsure of what to do. He wanted to comfort his son but had no idea on how to help him understand. His silence only made Snufkin angrier.

“You might as well just leave!” Snufkin only continued, ending his sentence with a hiccup that came out from a choked sob. “Just leave again, nobody here likes you!” His words were far from the truth, but he was angry. He didn’t know how else to express his frustration. Not caring that his scene could possibly awaken his family, he threw the flashlight to the ground and stormed off, running to his fort. The Joxter only stood in the kitchen, still in the position he had been left in.

Snufkin let himself in the fort, curling up in the soft pillows that covered the floor, allowing himself the moment the cry. His shoulders trembled as choked sobs coursed through his body. He felt betrayed and angered that his father would leave and come back years later, acting as if nothing had ever even happened.

It took a bit before Snufkin heard a soft rustling outside the fort. The Joxter was so quiet on his steps, so usually sly and sneaky, that Snufkin would have missed it had he not been listening closely.

“…Snufkin?” the Mumrik father’s voice came, soft and gentle. 

“I said go away!” 

“Snufkin,” Joxter tried again, his voice keeping the tender and careful tone. “Can I come in?”

“No. Leave.”

The Joxter only sighed and entered the fort regardless. As he made his way in, Snufkin shot him a harsh glare before turning around, putting his back towards his father. Silently, the Joxter sat down beside his son, putting some space between them.

“…I’m sorry, Snufkin,” he began after a while. Snufkin still had his back turned to him, but he had a confirmation that his son was listening due to the flick of his tail.

“I’m sorry. I really am, Snufkin. I have no excuse, though. I promise I’d be back soon and it’s been…what, two years? I guess I just…lost track of time.”

Snufkin still said nothing so the Joxter only continued. “I know there’s not a way to make you forgive me. I also know it’d be hard to help you understand, too. You will, one day, though…I’m sure of it.”

The Joxter stopped when he suddenly heard soft sobs. He looked over at his son. Hesitantly, he placed a paw on the child’s back, the touch light and unsure. He was more confident when Snufkin didn’t try to shake his paw away or flinch away from the touch, and the touch on his back became comforting rubs as he let the child cry out his frustration.

“Can I hold you?” the Joxter asked him rather hesitantly, still looking at the turned away form of his little son. His only confirmation was a small nod that he could barely see, but just managed to pick up on. Gently, the Mumrik father lifted his child up, bringing him into his lap. He held onto him protectively as the kitten cried into the fabric of his coat, his voice and sobs muffled.

“I’m sorry, kitten,” the Joxter repeated, going back to rubbing his son’s back. “I hope that you can forgive me.”

“You were gone for so long,” Snufkin whined. “I missed you, Pappa. I missed you a lot. I waited every day for you.”

“I know,” the Joxter shushed him softly, cooing. “I know, I know. I’m here now, okay? Pappa’s here now.”

Snufkin’s cries turned into sniffles as he began to calm down while his father continued to lovingly rub his back. When he had settled down, he pulled away, looking up at the Joxter. His father returned his gaze. To anyone else, the grown Mumrik’s expression may appear intimidating and cold beneath those bright cat-like eyes, however Snufkin could see the love and warmth in his face. 

“I’m sorry, Pappa,” Snufkin spoke genuinely.

“What ever for, kitten? You have nothing to apologize for.”

“I’m sorry for saying those mean words. I didn’t mean them…”

The Joxter laughed softly, petting a paw through Snufkin’s hair. “I know, Snufkin. I know you didn’t, it’s okay. All is forgiven.”

Snufkin only smiled softly, leaning his head against his father’s chest. He was just glad his father was here now. “I forgive you too, Pappa,” he said to him with another glance upwards.

The Joxter smiled, removing his bag from his back, then moving to lay on his back. He grasped his paws around Snufkin and lifted him up into the air, then down to his face. “Such a sweet, sweet kitten,” the Joxter nuzzled his nose against the tip of Snufkin’s nose. “Such a horrible Pappa I am, not deserving of such a sweet little kit.”

“You’re not horrible, Pappa!” Snufkin protested when his father lowered him. The kit wrapped his arms around his neck while the Joxter laid down, hugging him. It seemed like all of Snufkin’s anger had disappeared. 

The Joxter only hummed, returning his son’s embrace. He sat up suddenly. “Would you like to see something, Snufkin? I brought you a surprise.”

Snufkin’s eyes filled with wonder as he took a seat next to the Joxter, nodding his head curiously. He watched as his father took out something from his bag after digging through it. Upon closer inspection, he noticed it was a jar. Messy holes were jabbed through the lid, probably done by the works of a pocket knife. Inside the jar, there were small, occasional lights floating around. The Joxter opened up the jar and the occasional lights floated out, hanging around the ceiling of the blanket fort. The group of strange things lit up occasionally, looking like a beautiful, starry night sky right above their heads when they did shine.

“Pappa?” Snufkin beamed up at the lights. His eyes were wide with wonder. “What are those, Pappa?”

“Fireflies, dear,” the Joxter smiled. “They come out during warm summer nights.” He laid back down on his back, propping his head on his arms. 

Snufkin watched carefully as one floated downwards towards him. His eyes dilated and his tail swished. He was completely still until he suddenly clasped his paws around the bug, catching it. 

“Look, Pappa!” the kit gasped, scooting forward on his back to the Joxter. A light could barely be seen lighting up occasionally beneath his closed paws. “Pappa! I caught one!”

“Good job, my kitten,” the Joxter hummed with a smile. “Don’t scare it now, why don’t you let it join the others?”

Snufkin did as instructed, bringing apart his paws and watching as the firefly flew back upwards. “Can you eat them, Pappa?”

The Joxter laughed. “No. Or, I mean, I suppose you could. But I imagine they would taste very bad.”

“I think I would like to taste one!”

“Another day, Snufkin,” the Joxter smiled, wrapping an arm around his son and bringing him close. The Mumrik kit didn’t resist, allowing himself to be pulled closer. Snufkin settled down beside his Pappa, lying on his back as well and looking up at the fireflies above them, watching as they lit up every now and then. “For now, why don’t you enjoy the view?”

“It looks like a night sky, Pappa!” Snufkin grinned excitedly.

“Exactly! It looks even better outside, but…This will have to do. I hope your mother doesn’t mind bugs in her house.” The last sentence was ended with a humoring laugh.

“It’s okay, Pappa! We can catch them again later on and put them outside!”

The Joxter only hummed in response, closing his eyes. Comfortable silence fell between the father and son until the latter spoke up.

“Pappa?”

“Yes, Snufkin?”

“…I’m glad you’re back.”

“Me too. How I’ve missed my family…My stay this time will definitely be a long one.”

“I love you, Pappa.”

The Joxter looked down at his son who was laying beside him, but the kitten didn’t acknowledge his glance. Snufkin was staring straight ahead above him, admiring the fireflies in the fort. His eyes were slightly droopy, signaling the kit’s sleepiness. “…I love you too, Snufkin.”

If the kit heard his response, he didn’t show it. He appeared to be asleep. With a soft smile, the Joxter exhaled comfortably, turning on his side as he curled up around his sleeping kit. He still felt terribly guilty, even if he was here now. For now, he would sleep off his guilt, surrounded by one of the few things in his life that meant the world to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! My apologies for any errors—it is currently 4 AM at the time that I am writing this! 
> 
> The next chapter will take place the next morning :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s a huge surprise for everyone when the Joxter suddenly arrives back after two years of being gone. Luckily, he has a grand story to tell that explains why he was gone. Mymblemamma has a talk with the Joxter about his absence and they both want to make things right for their childrens’ lives.

Snufkin’s head was moving when he slowly gained consciousness. The movement was not of his own doing, but rather of someone else, as he felt something petting along the top of his head and moving him slightly. Confused, he turned his head to look upwards, meeting awake, bright blue eyes above him, looking down at him. When he looked up, he didn’t see the fireflies that once loomed above them. They must have gotten out of the fort and went into hiding somewhere.

“Did I wake you? Ah, I’m sorry, Snuf,” the voice of his father rumbled from behind him, a bit idly as he was focused on something. He was obviously the source, causing the movement as he immediately got back to what he was doing to Snufkin. It suddenly dawned on him what he was doing when he just barely saw the Joxter bring a paw to his mouth and lick it, then run it on the top of Snufkin’s head. He was trying to groom him.

“Your hair was just simply messy,” the Joxter mused aloud before Snufkin even got the chance to ask why he was doing this. “I think it’s about time your mother gave you a bath.”

“I was supposed to take one yesterday,” Snufkin chirped as he grinned up at his father with a joyous grin, showing his baby fangs. “But I convinced Mamma to let me take one another day!”

“Did you now?” The Joxter couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, you’re not getting out of it today.”

“But—“

“No buts!” His father chided him playfully. “I had to sleep next to you, son. Your hair is dirty.”

“Yes, Pappa,” Snufkin smiled at him in response, a hint of mischievousness in his expression. His next sentence was murmured with a sly grin. “You’re one to talk, though…”

“Mm. I heard that, Snufkin,” the Joxter spoke with eyes closed, one blue eye opening to look at his son as the grown lazy Mumrik laid on his side, head propped in his hand with his elbow resting on the ground. His tone was playful. “Watch your mouth.”

“Sorry, Pappa,” Snufkin said playfully with no actual sincerity behind his voice as he poked his tongue out at his father. The Joxter only laughed in response.

“Pappa, I’m hungry,” the Mumrik kit said suddenly, changing the subject. He couldn’t see outside from inside the fort, but he could only guess it was the early hours of morning. The rest of the family would probably be up soon, and they would be in for a great surprise.

“Okay. Uh,” the Joxter began a little awkwardly. His paw lingered above his bag for a moment before he drew it away, remembering he didn’t have any food with him. He looked towards the entrance of the fort. “Is there anything in the kitchen?”

“I don’t think there was any food left from dinner…I didn’t eat…” Snufkin spoke, thinking aloud.

“Why didn’t you eat dinner?” The Joxter was giving him a pointed gaze, one that was serious this time rather than playful, but it was only because he was concerned for his son.

The kit looked down in sudden shame and slight embarrassment, not sure what to say. “…I missed you,” he whispered, a little hesitantly. The Joxter would have missed the hushed words had he not been listening in carefully.

The Mumrik father softened, looking at his son who avoided his gaze. He didn’t say anything in response, only picked the kit up who did anything he could in order to not look at his father. The Joxter didn’t mind, bringing his son over and holding him close into a hug. Snufkin didn’t expect the embrace, but melted into it.

“Let’s get you something to eat,” the Joxter spoke, his voice oddly soft. “You need to eat, even when I’m not around, okay?”

“Okay, Pappa,” Snufkin nodded.

“Look at me, won’t you Snuf? Promise me.”

Snufkin didn’t have a hard time bringing his gaze back to meet his father’s eyes because the way the Joxter spoke was loving and soft, filled with warmth and concern. “I promise, Pappa. I won’t miss dinner anymore.”

His sincere words earned a smile out of the grown Mumrik as he kissed the kit’s forehead. “Come on,” he spoke, his voice still hushed. “Let’s go to the kitchen.”

As the Joxter moved to get up, crawling out of the fort, Snufkin got an idea and ran forward, jumping up and clinging onto his father’s back, wanting Joxter to carry him on his back. His father only laughed and allowed the kit to cling on, grabbing ahold of his legs when he moved to stand up so he could support the kit.

“Don’t make a habit out of this, Snufkin,” the Joxter made a scene of making fake grunts as he stood up, teasing his son. “One day you’ll be too big.”

“I’m not that heavy, Pappa!” Snufkin grinned, observing the world from a different height.

“Yes, yes, maybe not now, but you will be one day,” the Joxter hummed as he began to walk to the kitchen. “Maybe, if you’re lucky, your Mymble genes will take over and you’ll end up as tall as your Mamma.”

Snufkin shook his head as the Joxter moved him off his back, placing him to sit down on the kitchen counter. “I don’t think I want to be! I don’t want to be that tall.”

“Or…” the Joxter leaned on the counter, head propped in his palm while his other paw tapped a finger against the counter in thought, smiling at his son. “Maybe you’ll end up like Little My. You’ll be around this size forever.”

“No!” Snufkin gasped childishly, his eyes growing wide. “Forever? Forever ever? I don’t want to be small!”

The Joxter barked a laugh. “I was only joking with you, Snufkin. You’ll end up like me more than anything most likely. Your Mumrik genes seem to be dominant.”

Snufkin huffed, his cheeks puffing out in a pout. “I don’t think it was a very funny joke.” However, even he couldn’t help the slight amused smile that twitched on his lips.

The Joxter stood up straight with a smile, returning back to the original reason on why they were in the kitchen to begin with. “Any idea on what you want to eat?”

“No. But…Mamma made pie yesterday…And there was still leftovers…”

The Joxter turned to look at his son, a sly, knowing expression readable on his face as he understood what the kit was hinting at. “Was there now?”

“Oh, yes, and the pie was very yummy, too! Can’t we have some?”

“Pie for breakfast? Well…” The Joxter began in fake thought, keeping up the scene for mock dramatics. “That doesn’t sound like a good idea. Doesn’t sound very healthy, either, but…”

“Please, Pappa!” Snufkin looked at him with large, pleading eyes. Ones that his mother just couldn’t resist, and he hoped it would work on his father as well.

“But,” the Joxter repeated, the word more emphasized than the last. “Who ever said that Mumriks ever cared, anyways?” With that, the father opened the fridge, taking out the pie tray.

“Yay!” Snufkin exclaimed joyously, watching as his father set the tray on the counter. He removed the foil, looking down at the pie. There was only a few slices left.

“Don’t eat too much, now,” the Joxter hummed, giving Snufkin a fork. The kit happily began to dig in, not bothering to remove one of the slices from the tray. “Don’t eat too fast, either.”

“I won’t, Pappa,” Snufkin spoke with his mouth full, his voice slightly muffled by the food. The Joxter laughed, taking a napkin and wiping along the small mess around the kit’s mouth.

“Aren’t you going to eat some, Pappa?” Snufkin asked with a small tilt of his head, watching as his father only leaned over the counter again, his head propped up in the palms of both of his paws.

“Well, I figured it’d be rather rude of me, Snufkin,” the Joxter began an answer. “I don’t feel like it’s right to disappear for two years then show back up unannounced and steal food.”

“It wouldn’t be stealing,” Snufkin countered, brows furrowing in sadness at his words. “This is your home too!”

The Joxter sighed softly, reaching a paw over and petting the top of his son’s head comfortingly. He had to admit, he was rather hungry as well, but he just didn’t want to eat under a circumstance like this. He still felt guilty. “I’ll eat as soon as I can, okay?”

Snufkin had stopped eating at that point, holding his fork idly. He only had a few bites left in a slice. “Since when did you care if something was considered rude or not?”

“Usually I don’t, Snufkin,” the Joxter hummed. “But this is your mother we’re talking about. Our family. It doesn’t feel right to do it.”

Snufkin looked down at the remainders of the slice he had been eating at. He dug the fork back in and got some on the silverware, then he scooted forward and held it in front of his father’s face. “Here, Pappa!”

The Joxter leaned back slightly, lifting a paw to gently push away the tip of the fork. “No thank  
you, Snufkin. It’s yours.”

The Mumrik kit had a sad expression on his face, one that made Joxter feel his heart break. “Please, Pappa?”

Giving in almost immediately, the Joxter looked at his son with a warm chuckle and took the fork, eating the piece of food that was offered over to him. The sweet taste filled his mouth immediately and he was shocked. He almost forgot how good his lover’s cooking was. With a hum he withdrew the fork, handing it back to Snufkin. “Thank you, kitten.”

“Not yet! There’s still a little left,” Snufkin beamed at him. He took another piece from the slice with the fork and handed it back over to his father.

The Joxter ate the next piece then nibbled on the fork idly, in thought. “Are you not going to eat anymore?”

Snufkin shook his head. “I ate enough. I want to give this to you, Pappa!”

The Joxter smiled and finally gave the fork back. “Such a sweet kit.”

Snufkin continued to gather bites of the pie onto the fork and hand them off to his father until he had finished the remainders of the slice that the kit had started. They chatted idly and quietly, mostly about what’s been happening the past two years, but stopped when they heard soft footsteps close by, approaching the kitchen with careful steps. Both Mumriks looked over towards the door to see a large Mymble standing there.

“Oh, my,” the voice came from the Mymble as she rushed over. “I was only expecting to see Snufkin here. You’re certainly a surprise.” 

The Joxter sat up straight, looking up at his lover. “Mymble…I’m sorry, I—“

His words were caught up and stuck in his own throat as Mymblemamma suddenly drew him into a tight hug. She rested her chin on his head, tightening her embrace, feeling as the Joxter gave into the touch, feeling as if he melted in her arms. “Don’t,” she began softly, her voice hushed for his ears only. “It’s okay, I understand.” She withdrew from the hug, only to lean down and plant kisses along his face.

“It’s not okay,” the Joxter tried, finding it difficult to speak while his lover squished his face with her paws, kissing it. “I can’t just…do that. I have kids now.”

“And what about your own needs?”

The Joxter huffed. “I wish my needs didn’t matter too much in my head. I need to prioritize.”

“There’s compromises, dear,” Mymblemamma hummed gently. “I’ll talk to you about this later, okay? I was needing to talk to you about something anyway.” She finally stood back up straight, but her paws were still cupping his face.

The Joxter only nodded his head against her paws. “Okay.”

Snufkin watched his parents with a curious tilt of his head. He couldn’t make out what they were saying, their voices hushed. He could only gather a few words every now and then, but it gave little to no context on what they were talking about. The hushed whispers between them fell silent as they turned to their son.

“I see you two found the pie,” Mymblemamma smiled, walking over to the counter with an amused and warm expression.

“I was hungry, Mamma,” Snufkin smiled up at her, slightly sheepish. “Pappa didn’t eat much of it. He didn’t want to be rude.”

Mymblemamma turned to her lover with a soft sigh, looking into the unreadable expression as the Mumrik stared up at her with large, cold, blue eyes. “You know I don’t mind, dear,” she spoke to her lover. “Anything here is yours as well.”

“It felt different this time,” the Mumrik explained.

“I’ll never mind. I promise.” The Mymble mother’s words only made the Joxter nod his head in response.

“Where are the other children?” the Joxter asked, shifting his weight on one foot to peer around his lover, looking into the living room. There was nobody in there.

“Still asleep,” Mymblemamma hummed. “It’s still much earlier than the time they usually wake up. I only got up because I noticed Snufkin wasn’t with me. I had a suspicion that Snufkin had snuck out into the fort.” With her last sentence, she reached forward and lovingly pinched Snufkin’s cheek lightly, earning a giggle from the kit.

“I was in there before,” Snufkin beamed at her once she pulled away. “Then Pappa snuck in through the window!”

The kit’s brutal honesty made the Mymble laugh when she turned to her lover. “Did he now?”

“Oh, yes, Mamma! I didn’t know who he was at first. I thought he was about to attack me!”

The Joxter only playfully sent Snufkin a look, as if silently asking if he had any kind of filter at all, before meeting his lover’s eyes.

“You didn’t think it’d be too much to walk through the door, did you?” Mymblemamma asked, amusement dripping from her tone.

The Joxter only shrugged his shoulders playfully. He didn’t offer any kind of explanation. 

“Well, as long as you didn’t break the window…” Mymblemamma hummed. “I suppose it’s alright. Besides, I don’t know what else I could expect of you.”

The Joxter shook his head. “Only opened it.”

“Pappa says I need a bath today,” Snufkin interrupted them, making his parents turn to look at the kit as he sat on the counter. The Mymble laughed, stepping forward to run her paws through his hair.

“Well your Pappa is right,” she stated amusedly. “You didn’t have one yesterday, remember?”

“Yeah, but I don’t like baths!”

“I know you don’t, dear,” Mymblemamma smiled at him. “But you need to be clean. When Junior wakes up, I’ll get her to run your bath, alright? I need to talk to your Pappa privately.”

Snufkin looked over at his father with a questioning gaze. The Joxter had an unreadable, blank expression, cold cat-like eyes blinking idly. The grown Mumrik’s gaze met his son’s stare and his slitted pupils opened slightly, squinting his eyes in a sign of affection and offering a small smile.

Snufkin sent his gaze back towards his mother. “Is Pappa in trouble?”

Mymblemamma couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her. Even the Joxter chuckled lightly at his son’s innocence. “No, of course not. Don’t you worry, dear. I just need to talk to him.”

Snufkin smiled, feeling relief. He was still a little curious on why she needed to talk to him, but he didn’t press further. “Okay, Mamma.”

“Now, why don’t you go play until your sister wakes up? I’ll see if she’ll bathe you as soon as she eats.” With that, the Mymble mother began to prepare things for breakfast when the other children woke up. The Joxter helped Snufkin off the table, and the little kit ran out of the room into the living room.

“How were your travels, dear?” Mymblemamma asked as her smaller lover came forward, leaning on the counter, watching her.

“They were…a lot,” he said plainly, not sure exactly how to put it into words. “I—“

“I know you’re going to apologize, dear,” the Mymble hummed warmly, her voice delicate. “Don’t worry about it, okay?”

The Joxter made a noise of acknowledgement. “It was just park keeper business, really. I may or may not have gotten caught at some point.”

“Oh, my,” Mymblemamma and her lover shared a soft laugh together. “Did you now? The Joxter getting caught? That must be what took so long for you to come back.”

“Partially,” he smiled up at her, tail waving from side to side. “I kind of just lost track of time.”

“Pappa!” came Snufkin’s high voice, shouting from the other room, interrupting them. By his tone, they could tell it was not panicked, so they stayed in the kitchen, listening in on what the kit wanted. “I can’t find the bugs!”

“The bugs?” the Joxter asked, slightly confused. He projected his voice loudly so that his son could hear him from the other room.

“The bugs! The light bugs!”

Oh. Right.

“What ever is he on about, dear?” Mymblemamma looked down at her lover, noticing the expression of realization that washed across his face.

“Uh. I may have set a few bugs loose in your house,” he laughed awkwardly, not sure how to explain it. He knew she wouldn’t be mad, but it was certainly a silly situation.

“Really, now?” Mymblemamma had a surprised expression but she laughed. “And how did that happen?”

“I brought some fireflies in a jar from my travels,” he explained with a small wave of his paw. “I was going to show Snufkin outside with the other children, but he was in that fort in the room and he was mad at me. So I showed him in there, and now…” With an amused grin he shrugged his shoulders, slightly sheepish.

“Well, they only come out at night. Perhaps they have an internal clock? They’ll be back when it’s dark and you can catch them then. I imagine the children will have fun helping you.”

“Pappa!” Snufkin’s voice shouted again, slightly frustrated from not receiving another answer. The Joxter announced he was coming and hurried off into the room with a small wave as he parted from his lover. When he reached the living room, Snufkin was on his paws and knees, searching the floor and any crack and crevice he came across. “I can’t find them, Pappa!”

The Joxter knelt down next to his son. “They’ll be back out tonight, Snufkin. We can catch them then, okay?”

“But I wanted to show Mamma…” Snufkin looked up at his father, tone and expression filled with disappointment and sadness.

The Joxter hummed, trying to think of a way to explain the habits of this bug in a way his son would understand. “Do you know how some creatures sleep during the winter?” Snufkin nodded in response to him. “Well, fireflies do that but during summer days. They wake up at night.”

“Ohh,” Snufkin’s lips were parted in awe as he looked at his father. “So they are sleeping?”

“Yes!” The Joxter smiled at him. “And you don’t want to wake them up, do you?”

“No, Pappa!” Snufkin returned his smile. “That would be very mean.”

“Good boy,” the Joxter smiled and ruffled his hair, standing back up. He didn’t actually know whether or not the bugs were exactly sleeping, but it was an easy explanation enough to satisfy the kit. “Go play now, okay? I’ll be in the kitchen.”

Wordlessly, Snufkin giggled and darted into the fort, his tail disappearing into the blankets that covered the entrance. With that, the Joxter headed back into the kitchen. Mymblemamma sent him a look with a smile before she looked back down at her work.

“That was fast,” she hummed. The Joxter went back and took his place again leaning over the counter, looking at what she was making. Right now, she was cooking eggs. 

“Mm. I told him they were sleeping right now. He didn’t wanna wake them up.”

Mymblemamma sighed lovingly. “He is a sweet kit, isn’t he?”

“Certainly.”

From the living room, they heard light chattering. They thought Snufkin was only playing, until they heard other soft voices, and then footsteps approaching the kitchen.

“Good morning, Mamma!” came Mymble Jr.’s joyous voice. Her little siblings were crowded around her, some clinging onto her. Everyone startled when their eyes laid on a familiar figure, turning to look at them with a steady gaze. “Pappa!”

Excited voices shouted out as the children ran forward, latching onto their father figure. He silently thanked he had been leaning on the counter, otherwise he would have surely toppled over.

“Pappa! Where were you?” Little My’s voice came as she began climbing up her stepfather’s clothing, climbing on top of his head after knocking his hat off. “You should have come back earlier! We missed you!”

With Little My laying on her stomach on top of his head, her own head hanging down to look at him, and with Mymble Jr. wrapping herself around his torso into a hug, and the other little children wrapping around his legs, he found it hard to move. He only wrapped his arms around the oldest Mymble daughter, careful to keep his head steady so that My wouldn’t fall.

“Where were you, Pappa?” Mymble Jr. echoed her sister’s question, looking up at him.

“He got caught up with some trouble, dears,” Mymblemamma answered for him with a smile. Immediately, the Mymble children understood.

“A park keeper, Pappa?” Little My looked down at him from the top of his head. “Did you win?”

The Joxter coughed. “I got caught.”

All the Mymble children gasped, as if they had just been told the worst horror in the world.

“It wasn’t a big deal,” he waved a paw, trying to ease their worries. “I’m here now, aren’t I?”

“Yeah, two years too late,” Little My smirked. “Why’d it take so long to be released?”

“Well, I escaped, My,” the Joxter reached up to lift his stepdaughter from off his head. “After that I just lost a sense of time.”

Little My swung her legs, playfully kicking at him, as he held her up in the air. He held her back before one of her hind paws accidentally came in contact with his face. “Wow, Pappa! I never thought you’d get caught!”

The Joxter chuckled as he set the Mymble down on the floor. Mymble Jr. was still clinging to him. He was slightly surprised that even after disappointing the children, they still happily saw him as a father.

The Mumrik looked down at Little My. “Still a little Mymble?” he joked, kneeling down on his knees and hunching over slightly to meet her eyes. “I thought surely you’d have grown, even at least a little bit.” He playfully poked a finger in her face and quickly retracted it after Little My clamped her teeth down.

“Yeah, yeah,” she huffed, giving him a mischievous grin. “I’ll grow one day, I know it!”

“I’ve been growing, Pappa!” Mymble Jr. beamed, looking over at him. The Joxter stood up straight, comparing the differences. The oldest Mymble daughter had grown a few inches, the top of her head reaching his lower chest.

“I see that,” he mused with a smile, ruffling her hair. She smiled at the touch, looking up at him with large, adoring eyes.

“Once you finish eating, will you give Snufkin a bath? I’d ask Joxter to do it, but I need to talk to him later,” Mymblemamma asked her oldest daughter, sending her a small glance.

“Okay, Mamma! What are we eating?”

“Eggs,” Mymblemamma hummed. “I was going to start making some toast as well.”

“Sounds good,” the oldest Mymble daughter looked at her mother’s work. “I’m going to go play with Snufkin until it’s ready!” The two Mymble sisters walked out of the room, heading towards the fort. The other little children stayed behind, still crowded around their stepfather. They were obviously ecstatic that he had returned, but also a lot of them just wanted to eat.

The Joxter situated himself on the floor, crossing his legs, allowing the little children to climb all over him. Some crawled into his lap while others climbed along his torso, hanging off his shoulders while one sat on top of his head. The little children were starting to get bigger.

“Pappa!” came the voice of one of the little Mymble daughters. All the Mymble girls looked exactly like Little My, except they had a much more sweeter look to them, rather than My’s mischievous demeanor. The boys looked a little like Snufkin, but with lighter colored, shorter hair. “Tell us a story, Pappa!”

“Tell us a story of your adventure while you were gone!” a Mymble boy piped up.

The Joxter huffed a light laugh. He took out his pipe from his pocket and brought it up to his mouth. He didn’t smoke it—he very obviously would not smoke it around the little children no matter what. Especially not in the house. He just let the object sit there idly, more so a habit of having it in his mouth than anything else. He chewed the tip of the pipe between his teeth in thought. “A story of my adventures, huh?” He looked up at his lover, who only sent him a small smile then returned to her work. He looked at all the faces of the children who looked up at him, admiring him with wide eyes filled with wonder.

“I’m not sure what to tell you other than what you’ve already heard,” he hummed. “I met a lot of creatures along the way. Very nice ones…yes, very nice ones indeed. I suppose the only mean-spirited creature I came across was a nasty ol’ Hemulen. The Park Keeper, of course. Had privately owned land, some very nice flowers blooming prettily and fruit trees all around, plentiful, enough to feed the whole forest and more.”

“Yet, alas…everything was blocked off by tall fences, gates in every direction, separating the sweet, longing creatures from the uptight source of the segregation. I trudged through rotten land…and accidentally wound up straight into the claws of the evil-doer!” He raised his paws up, claws unsheathing and glinting in the light, giving his stepchildren a toothy grin, his Mumrik pupils slitted. The Mymble children gasped, looking at him with open mouths, the impact of his—somewhat exaggerated—storytelling reaching to them. 

“What then, Pappa?” one of the Mymble girls asked, her eyes wide open in shock.

“I was taken away, of course,” the Joxter smirked, ruffling the hair of the child who asked a question. “Locked behind bars in a cold, dark cell in my own solitude. The sound of my breathing being my only company, the only reminder that I was still here and alive.”

“Don’t scare them now, dear,” Mymblemamma chuckled lightly, amused by her lover’s storytelling. The Joxter only acknowledged her comment with a flick of his tail and a small smile in her direction.

His story fell silent with a dramatic pause as he took in the gazes of his stepchildren. “And then…” he began again. “Just when I thought it was hopeless, I had an idea. The Hemulen came by every now and then to give me food…I thought, what if I could find a way to trick him? Of course, I had to talk my way into getting him to trust me, building a bond, enough to let me out of my cell. Being let out even for the tiniest second was enough for me…To run out of there and make my escape!”

The Mymble children made a noise of amazement, their eyes gleaming with admiration as they beamed up at their stepfather. “Wow, Pappa! And that’s how you’re here today?” one child piped up with a question.

“Well, eventually…Yes. As I said earlier, after that I lost track of time. But, to simply put it, yes. I am here now, aren’t I?”

“Wonderful story, dear,” Mymblemamma hummed, stepping away from the counter. “I believe it’s time to eat now. Run and grab the other children. You don’t think they’ll let us take the fort down, do you?”

“If you want it down, you’re going to have to go to Snufkin about that one,” the Joxter joked with a laugh as he began to stand up. “I’ll be back.”

The Joxter hurried off into the living room, the sound of chatter filling his ears as he got close to the fort. Quietly, he got down on his knees in front of the fort then lifted up one of the blankets that covered the entrance, bringing it up in a quick motion. The three children inside shrieked as they were startled, their eyes moving to meet their Pappa’s blue-eyed gaze.

“Pappa!” Snufkin giggled. “You scared me! Are you coming inside?” 

“As much as I’d love to join you children inside your fortress, your Mamma told me to come grab you three for breakfast.”

“Oh, okay, Pappa. After breakfast then!”

“Ah ah, not so fast, kitten,” the Joxter gently grabbed a hold of the nape of Snufkin’s dress when he crawled out of the fort and began to walk towards the kitchen. “You have to bathe afterwards, remember?”

Snufkin rolled his eyes with a playful smile. “Fine, Pappa…”

Little My and Mymble Jr. crawled out to join their stepfather and little brother outside the fort. The Joxter gave them a small smile and a nod of acknowledgement. “Don’t you three think it’s time to take down the fort?”

“I don’t care,” Little My shrugged her shoulders. “I want my bed’s top cover back. And—“

“No!” Snufkin suddenly shouted, looking up at his father with pleading eyes. “Not yet, Pappa!”

“But Snufkin, we have no chairs in the kitchen.”

“Not yet, Pappa!” he only repeated, his eyes wide.

“Snuf, you have to take it down eventually.”

“Noooo…” Snufkin turned away and crossed his arms, his cheeks puffing out into a pout. Mymble Jr. knelt down in front of Snufkin, giving her baby brother a kind smile.

“Snufkin,” the oldest Mymble daughter began. “We can always put it back up!”

“I want to keep it up forever!”

“You know that’s not possible…”

“No, it is! We’re keeping the fort up forever!”

Mymble Jr. only sighed, giving up, not wanting to fight with her brother. She gave her stepfather an apologetic glance.

“Okay, how about this,” the Joxter began and Snufkin turned to look at him. The elder Mumrik leaned over, propped up on his elbows so he was eye level with the kit. “We’ll keep it up for another day or two, but you’re going to have to talk to your mother about it, okay?”

“Okay! Thank you, Pappa!” Snufkin grinned and leaned forward and gave his father a kiss on the cheek in love and appreciation. With that, the kit ran off to the kitchen, his voice already sounding out loudly as he tried to grab the attention of his mother.

“You’re awful at saying no,” Little My mused with a grin as she watched her little brother run off, shooting a playful glance towards her stepfather. “Before you know it, he’s going to end up spoiled.”

The Joxter rolled his eyes with a smile as well, standing back up. “Well, would you like to deal with him when he’s angry, little Mymble?”

My waved a paw in response. “I already do it enough.”

The Mumrik father and his two oldest stepchildren walked to the kitchen, looking over to where the Mymble mother was standing. She had the Mumrik kit in her arms and they were talking, most likely about the fort.

“Well, I suppose it won’t hurt to leave it up for just another day or two…” Mymblemamma hummed in response to the kit’s question that went unheard by the three. “But no more than that, okay dear?”

“Thank you, Mamma!” Snufkin leaned forward in her hold to give her a kiss on the cheek as well, and the action made the mother laugh.

“Is everyone okay with eating without chairs?” the Mymble mother asked, earning positive responses from everyone. With the help of her oldest daughter and her lover, they began preparing plates at the table, avoiding the little children that ran over and already began climbing up the table so they could reach their food. Little My was among the group. Once everything was situated, they ate in comfortable peace, despite having to stand—or, sit on top of the table, for the little ones. When everything was finished, the Mymble mother began washing plates with the help of the grown Mumrik.

“Breakfast was good, Mamma, thank you!” Mymble Jr. walked up to her mother with a smile on her face, her paws clasped behind her back.

“Of course, dear. Will you tend to Snufkin now?”

“Of course! Snufkin, it’s time for your bath!”

“No!” Snufkin’s playful shout was heard from the living room. The kit must have slipped away while everyone was finishing up, knowing what was coming for him. Afterwards, they heard footsteps advance through the halls and the slam of a door shutting, and then quiet. 

Mymblemamma laughed. “I suppose you have to go find him now, dear. I should have expected this would happen.” With a giggle, Mymble Jr. ran off to try and find him with Little My tailing behind her, wanting to help. 

After Mymblemamma finished up with washing, she instructed the other little children to go play, and most of them went off towards the fort while others went off into the hall, going to their room to play. She gave the Joxter a glance and a smile, and the Joxter nodded in response, knowing it was time for them to talk now. He took her paw in his own and she led him outside so they could talk privately.

It was silent, but comfortable, as they walked out into the yard, gazing at the sky above them. The sun was rising high and there was not a cloud in sight.

“The children missed you a lot, you know,” Mymblemamma hummed, finally speaking up. The Joxter turned to look at her.

“I know.”

“They love you, too, dear.”

“I know…”

“I know you need to go off every now and then, dear,” her voice was soft and gentle as she spoke. “But, as I said earlier, there’s compromises.”

“Mymble, I—“ Joxter cut off his own words with a slight frustrated groan, unsure how to word his thoughts. “I don’t know. I just don’t know what to do. The kids, they need me, but I—“

“Need to move around?” she spoke warmly as she finished his sentence with a small smile of understanding.

“Yeah…that,” he sighed with a slump of his shoulders. “It’s unfair, though. To you, and to them. You shouldn’t have to…wait around for me like that. They shouldn’t have to.”

“Oh, honey,” Mymblemamma came forward, closer to her lover, leaning down to plant a kiss on his forehead. “Don’t think of such things.”

“I’m sorry, love,” the Joxter leaned his head upwards as she kissed his head. “Not just for now, but in general—for being gone for so long.”

“I know you are,” she smiled. “And it’s okay, things happened.” 

“What kind of compromises are you talking about exactly? What you said earlier…”

“That was one of the things I wanted to talk to you about, actually,” Mymblemamma hummed with a tap to her chin in thought. “Every time before you leave, you could try to stay longer. Or, you could stay the short amount of time you usually do, but make more frequent trips back.”

“I was already planning on staying longer this time,” the Joxter stated with a small smile, his tail twitching. “I’ll have to think about what I’m comfortable with on the other things.”

“Of course, dear.”

The Joxter hummed, standing upright a bit with his chin pointed upwards, signaling his want for something. The Mymble mother understood immediately and she leaned down, allowing the Mumrik to plant a soft kiss on her lips.

“One more thing,” Mymblemamma hummed when they parted. “I think it’d be good for you to spend some time with Snufkin, My, and Junior. You already told the children that story of yours, I think you should do something with the other three.”

“Of course,” he nodded, already in thought. “I’ll make plans for something later today. Shall we go back in the house?”

“Let’s,” was the mother’s response along with a smile as the two walked together, their paws grasping each other and their tails tangling up lovingly, off to join their children in the building. While they walked, the Joxter continued to think, his mind wandering with all the possibilities of what he could possibly do to spend time with the two oldest daughters and the youngest son. In his mind, he formed up the perfect idea, his tail slightly fidgeting in the tangle with slight excitement to get the rest of the early day started.

Today might end up being a long one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this I realized, I change perspectives quite a lot. I do apologize for that and I do hope it does not become confusing. If it does, thank you for sticking around regardless! :)
> 
> I try to respond to comments when I’m available, but sometimes it loses my focus so I want to say this now:  
> I really really appreciate all the nice comments I’ve been receiving! I don’t know how to express how much your support means to me. Every comment makes me smile and laugh and it makes me just so happy, I get excited to write more just to share that happiness as well! Thank you, guys, and I hope you continue to enjoy my work!
> 
> By the way, next chapter takes place immediately after this one!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Joxter had an adventure planned for Snufkin, Mymble Jr., and Little My. Things were growing great at first until the four found themselves in a sticky situation. Are they able to escape without issue?

Soft chatter filled the house as the two parents walked back inside the building after their talk, shutting the door behind them. When they turned to look at the living room, they expected to see Snufkin, newly washed, fresh and clean, but they only saw some of the other little children playing. Snufkin, nor the two older sisters, were nowhere to be seen.

Before either could ask any questions aloud, much less even think them, they heard several running footsteps as paws quickly padded across the floor, some claws on bare feet coming in contact with the hardwood floor and making soft clicking noises as they skidded. They saw a small green figure run through the room and disappearing into the kitchen as quickly as it came.

“Mamma! Pappa!” came a voice from the hallway as Mymble Jr. skidded to a halt in front of her parents once she reached the room, panting, slightly out of breath. “I can’t catch Snufkin!”

It hadn’t been too long since Mymblemamma first sent her off to do her job, however they had still expected her to have caught him by now. Considering the kit’s energy, though, this outcome wasn’t entirely unexpected either.

Mymblemamma looked into the kitchen, watching as Snufkin and Little My had a stand off, holding firm stances on either side of the table. When Snufkin began to run, he darted away from Little My’s grasp when she dove to catch him, missing him by about an inch. He sneakily and hastily ran through the living room, avoiding everyone inside, and back into the hallway from which he came.

“Little brat!” Little My huffed, joining her sister in front of their parents with her arms crossed, tapping a foot against the floor impatiently.

The Joxter observed the direction that Snufkin had run off in, then looked up at his lover. “Why don’t you go talk to him? I’m sure you can talk him into bathing.”

“Oh, dear, I don’t know…” Mymblemamma had a paw on her cheek in thought. “I don’t know if anyone can convince him. I certainly can’t catch him, he’s much too fast.”

“Mm. I’ll go talk to him.”

“If he runs, do you think you can catch him, Pappa?” Mymble Jr. asked him, tilting her head.

The Joxter stretched. “I can certainly try.” With that, he walked off with nothing more to say. His footsteps were light as he entered the hallway, walking into the first room he came across. The door was slightly ajar, only cracked open. Either Snufkin was in here, or he had already been in here earlier.

The room he entered was his lover’s room. He looked at the bed first, noticing how neatly made and kept it was, signaling Snufkin was definitely not hiding within the blankets. He checked the closet and any dark corner he could find, anywhere where Snufkin could possibly be hiding with such a small stature. The Joxter was about to move to a different room when he heard a soft giggle from within the room, coming from close to the ground.

“I heard you, Snufkin…” the Joxter decided to play along in their little game, a small smirk on his face. “You can’t hide for long, you know.”

Another giggle. The kit was rather silly, unknowingly giving up his hiding place so easily.

Joxter followed the sound of the giggle, searching for the source. He ended up near the bed, but the soft noise sounded like it came lower, so that could only mean…

Under the bed.

With a soft hum, he smiled to himself, quietly dropping to his knees. His blue eyes met with a brown gaze that was staring at him with hints of mischievousness beneath his look. The kit shrieked with laughter when his father found him, scrambling to his paws to move somewhere else.

The Joxter was quick to crawl underneath the bed, grabbing ahold of the kit before he could run away. “Got you, kitten!” the Joxter smiled, his hold on Snufkin firm but not rough. The kit only giggled, squirming in his father’s grasp, trying to move free.

“No, Pappa! I don’t want a bath!” the kit shrieked again in fits of laughter when his father began running his fingers along his sides, tickling him. “Pappa!”

The Joxter stopped tickling him when Snufkin sunk tiny claws into his skin as a form of a playful attack. It hurt, though, but the kit had no sense of what was a right or wrong move to make in a situation like this, so it was at least meant to be playful. The Joxter quickly retracted his paws and sat up with his legs crossed, rubbing at the place where Snufkin’s claws had snagged. Where he sat, he was hunched over a lot so that he could fit underneath the bed.

“Ow, Snufkin,” the Joxter’s voice wasn’t harsh, more so neutral. It hurt for a moment, but he knew the kit didn’t actually mean it. “Watch your claws.”

Snufkin stared up with him with wide eyes, immediately apologetic. “Sorry, Pappa…” Snufkin scooted forward on his knees, his paws—with sheathed claws—taking ahold of his father’s arms and looking at the tiny holes and scratches in his skin where his claws had sunk in and dragged. There was no blood, thankfully, but he had no doubts that it surely stung. “I’m sorry, Pappa!”

“Don’t worry about it, Snufkin,” the Joxter gave him a sincere, reassuring smile, realizing he may have come off a little cold earlier. “You didn’t mean it.”

Snufkin didn’t say anything else, leaning down and planting a small, short kiss on the wounds. Before the Joxter could ask what he was doing, he sat back up and explained, beaming, “Mamma always does this when I get hurt! She says kisses will make it feel better!”

The Joxter huffed a soft laugh, in awe over how sweet his child was. He reached over a paw and ran it through the mop of light brown hair on Snufkin’s little head, ruffling it. “Thanks, Snufkin. It feels better already.”

Snufkin smiled, standing on his hind paws. Joxter immediately reached forward to grasp his arm, knowing what he was planning. “Don’t think this will get you out of taking a bath,” he laughed. “You still need to take one.”

“Aw, Pappa…” Snufkin huffed, trying to pull out of his grasp, making sure to keep his claws in. “I don’t wanna!”

“I’m taking you and your two sisters out somewhere later today. You don’t want to miss out, do you?”

“Why can’t I take a bath when I get back?”

“Because then, it’ll just be the same. You still won’t want to take one when we get back, I’m not falling for your tricks. Let me bathe you, won’t you? I’ll be quick with it, and I think you’ll love what I have planned.”

Snufkin sighed, giving in. It was mostly due to the curiosity of what his father was going to do with them. “Okay, Pappa…”

The Joxter didn’t exactly have a set plan on what he would do to spend time with the children. He had a few ideas, but he’d have to run them by Mymblemamma first. His words were enough to satisfy the kit without any further questions, however, as he allowed him to pick him up and take him out from underneath the bed in his hold. With the kit in his arms, Joxter stood to his feet, patting his son’s back as he walked. He got surprised looks from his two oldest stepchildren and his lover when he entered the living room, the kit calm and content in his hold.

“How’d you get him, Pappa?” Mymble Jr. asked, her voice filled with wonder.

“Nothing that a little convincing can’t do. Don’t worry about bathing him, alright? I can do it. Go play.”

“Thanks, Pappa!” Mymble Jr. smiled up at him and ran off with a giggle, her younger sister following after her. Mymblemamma turned to her lover, looking down at the kit in his arms.

“This is your first time bathing him, yes dear? Be careful, the little one has learned how to scratch.”

The Joxter only laughed in response. “Yeah, I figured. He already got me earlier when I was only trying to get him out from underneath the bed.

“I said I was sorry, Pappa…” Snufkin’s voice was mumbled with a sincere apology, sounding rather sad, his tail drooping low. The kit was afraid he was in trouble.

The Joxter softened at that and hummed, “I know, Snufkin, don’t worry. You’re not in trouble. I was only talking to your Mamma, we just find it very humorous is all. You are a little feisty one.” Snufkin brightened with a small smile when his father brought him up to plant a comforting kiss on his forehead.

“Yes, your father is right, you’re not in trouble at all,” Mymblemamma leaned over to kiss her son as well, making the kit giggle when she planted one on his cheek. “Just watch out with your claws, alright dear? And your teeth—those are especially sharp in these ages.”

“Yes, Mamma!” Snufkin beamed at her then looked over to his father. “Okay, I’m ready for my bath now, Pappa!”

Wordlessly, the Joxter offered a nod to his lover before he headed off in the direction of the bathroom with his son in hand. He got down on his knees, setting aside his child before he turned on the faucet and plugged the drain, allowing the tub to fill up. He opted to not use the metal can, but rather the regular tub, since Snufkin was now big enough to where he was able to sit up in the regular tub. Snufkin watched as his father prepared things for him. 

“What are we doing later today, Pappa?” Snufkin chirped, wanting casual, idle conversation while they waited.

“Wouldn’t it be more fun if it were a surprise?” the Joxter asked with a small glance towards Snufkin.

“Ohh, no, I don’t like surprises!”

The Joxter hummed. “You’ll just have to wait, Snuf. It would be unfair for me to tell you and not tell your sisters.”

“You can tell all of us!” Snufkin grinned up at him, eyes wide and curious.

“You can wait, Snufkin. It won’t take too long to get there.”

Snufkin only nodded, knowing his father wouldn’t give up anything more. He looked over at the tub when Joxter turned the faucet knob with a squeak sounding from it, the water ceasing its flow. The tub was filled up with warm water. The Joxter didn’t have to say anything before Snufkin began undressing himself, stepping into the water with careful paws, not wanting to slip. He sat down, the water coming up to just below his shoulders.

“See, this isn’t so hard, now is it?” the Joxter hummed as he gathered shampoo in his paws, lathering it in his paws. He gently guided Snufkin to lean back in the water, wetting his hair, then wordlessly instructed him to sit back up. He began running his soapy paws through the now wet hair that sat flat along Snufkin’s head. When his hair wasn’t curling up slightly at the ends, it appeared longer than it usually looked.

“I just don’t like baths, Pappa,” Snufkin whined, his head moving as his father continued to lather the soap through his hair, the Joxter’s fingers running through the locks and along his scalp to make sure his head was washed good.

“I know you don’t,” the Joxter hummed as he worked. “Your Pappa doesn’t either. I’ve had my fair share of being forced to get bathed by my old friends, especially your mother. Eventually my friends started handing me off to her so she could do the work.” When he spoke, his voice was filled with nostalgic fondness, thinking back to his old friends. He wondered where they were now.

Snufkin giggled at his father’s story, amused. He said nothing more, silent as his father continued to work, the two Mumriks sharing the comfortable silence. Joxter took a cup that sat on the side of the tub and held one paw above Snufkin’s eyes to cover them, then dipped the cup in the water with the other paw and dumped it over his son’s head, watching as soap suds washed out of his hair into the tub. He continued until the shampoo was washed away entirely. Afterwards, he put a little bit of conditioner in his paws, running it through the kit’s hair and at certain spots on his body where he has tufts of fur, like the tufts that grew on the back of his elbows and around the nape of his neck. Once he was finished, he washed that out as well.

When it came time to wash the kit’s body, he lathered up a rag with soap and handed it off to Snufkin, allowing his son to do the work. Snufkin took the rag and began running it along his body, soap suds gathering up on his skin as he washed. The Joxter helped him rinse off when he was finished and he reached down to pull the plug in the tub, allowing the water to drain out. He sat back on his haunches to grab a towel and prepared it as the kit stepped out of the tub.

The Joxter put the towel around his son in a quick motion with a playful growl, making the kit shriek with laughter as he was wrapped in the material and his father began rustling it as he dried him off. Snufkin stood there, smiling at his father, the towel sat atop his head and draped around his entire body, dragging against the floor. Only his head poked out from the towel.

The Joxter smiled back at him. “There, all clean now. Let’s go pick you out some clothes.” The Joxter stood up, but before he began walking, Snufkin reached up with a paw and tugged at his father’s pants, grabbing his attention. When he looked down, Snufkin had his arm held out from underneath the towel with his paw open, wanting his father to hold it. The Joxter took the offer and the father and son walked paw in paw towards the bedroom shared by the little children where all their clothes were.

The two began looking through the drawers. Snufkin pulled out one of his usual outfits, the white-collared green dress with the yellow ribbon. He had multiple. “This, Pappa?”

The Joxter inspected the outfit but turned it away with a shake of his head. “Needs to be something more appropriate for the weather. How about…” He dug through the outfits and pulled out a white collared blouse with short, puffy sleeves and a pair of green overall shorts. “This?”

Snufkin nodded with a grin and took the clothes from his Pappa. He began dressing when his father handed him some underclothes and socks that came up to his knees. When he was finished putting that on, he put on the outfit that his father picked out. He allowed the Joxter to help him with any buckles and buttons that the outfit had. When they were finished, the Joxter stood to his feet and walked into the living room, where Mymblemamma sat in her chair. She looked up from a book she was reading at the sound of footsteps. Snufkin ran over to his mother, climbing up her dress into her lap.

“Oh, my,” Mymblemamma spoke warmly, looking at her son. “Dear, you look simply adorable! Did you pick this outfit out?”

“I did,” the Joxter answered as he stepped forward. “Do you know where the other two are at?”

“Playing in Junior’s room!”

With a nod, the Joxter headed off to the room. He stopped in front of her door, knocking to announce his arrival, waiting until one of the little girls came to open the door. When the door opened, his eyes met with the light teal ones of his oldest stepdaughter.

“Pappa!” she stepped back to open the door further and allow him in, looking up at him with a smile on her face. She was holding a large stuffed bear in her paw, and upon further inspection in the room, Little My was holding one as well, sitting on top of her sister’s bed. “Did you finish with Snufkin?”

The Joxter nodded, stepping into the room. “Smooth sailing. What are you kids doing?”

Mymble Jr. ran back to her bed, climbing on top of it to join her younger sister. “Playing! Want to join us?”

The Joxter smiled, walking forward, taking a seat on her bed. “I’d love to, girls,” he hummed. “But I have an idea planned to spend time with you two and Snufkin. We’re going out somewhere later today.”

Little My threw aside the stuffed bear in excitement. “Where are we going, Pappa?”

“It’s a surprise,” he answered with a wink. “I didn’t tell your brother either, so I can’t tell you.”

“That’s dumb,” Little My huffed. She picked the bear back up that she had thrown to the side. She grabbed a brush and began idly brushing through its short fur. “Why not just tell all of us?”

The Joxter only shrugged, but didn’t answer.

“I like surprises, My!” Mymble Jr. grinned, straightening the ribbon that was tied around the neck of the stuffed bear she was holding. 

“That’s the spirit,” the Joxter patted his oldest stepdaughter’s back, giving her a smile. He then sent his gaze over both of them, inspecting their long sleeved dresses. “You two should get changed more appropriately for the weather. We’re going outside.” With that, he got up from the bed and headed out of the room, giving the oldest daughter some privacy to change clothes while Little My ran off into the direction of the bedroom she shared with Snufkin and the other little ones so she could change her own clothes. He walked back into the living room where his lover was still seated in her chair, reading her book aloud to Snufkin who listened rather intently. She didn’t say anything, only looked up from her book with a smile as her smaller lover perched himself on the arm of the chair, then she went back to reading.

She stopped when she heard two pairs of footsteps approaching the room. Little My and Mymble Jr. stood next to each other in different outfits than what they had on before. Little My was wearing a red sleeveless top that had a white collar, with white bloomer shorts and white socks that had a lace trim around the top. She wore little black shoes that had a buckle that ran across the top of her foot. Mymble Jr. wore a light blue floral sundress that had puffy sleeves and a white collar, as well as brown laced boots. 

“Oh, you two are beautiful,” Mymblemamma smiled at the sight of her two daughters’ outfits. “Where exactly are you taking them, dear?”

The Joxter only hummed. “It’s a surprise.” He leaned forward to whisper something into the Mymble mother’s ears. The three children stayed quiet, trying to pick up on what he was saying, but only heard incomprehensible murmurs.

“I think that would be a lovely idea,” Mymblemamma spoke with a soft smile when her lover leaned away after telling her his secret plans. “Kids, grab some baskets, won’t you? You’ll need them for your trip.”

The three children ran off to get baskets that they owned, while the Joxter got off from the side of his chair to grab his bag. He hoisted it up onto his shoulder, waiting for the children to join him. They ran up behind him with three woven baskets, each child holding one in their paws.

“Ready?” the Joxter asked them and they all nodded. He walked over to his lover. He leaned over to give her a kiss, one that she returned. “We’ll be back later. Love you.”

“Come back safely. I know the kind of trouble you get into,” Mymblemamma hummed, earning a warm laugh from the elder Mumrik. “Have fun, children.”

“Bye, Mamma!” the three children piped up as they followed their father out the door. The door shut behind them and they followed their father down the path, into the woods.

“Where are we going, Pappa?” came Snufkin’s excited voice, trying again with getting an answer out of his father as they walked through the forest. The Mumrik father idly blew away at his harmonica as they walked, giving his children some form of entertainment while they wandered. The sweet tune came to a stop when his youngest son asked him a question.

“Some place very nice that I know of,” was all the Joxter said, providing nothing more of an answer as the song played again when he brought the little metal instrument back up to his lips. The sound brought some creatures of the forest forward to observe the family as they walked—some Creeps that lived in the woods sitting on the edges of their homes as they listened in, squirrels stopping their feeding to pay attention as well as the sweet melody filled their little round ears, among many other woodland beings. Birds perched upon branches sang along to the tune, providing extra melody to the harmonica’s sound as the sweet tunes mixed and twisted together in a nice harmony.

Mymble Jr. hummed along to her stepfather’s instrument, then started singing, creating lyrics that fit along nicely to the tune from words and sentences that came from the top of her head. Little My danced along to the music as they walked.

“Can I try playing, Pappa?” Snufkin asked, reaching a paw up and pointing at the harmonica between his father’s fingers. “I wanna play!”

The tune stopped as the Joxter brought the instrument away from his lips, wordlessly handing it down to his child. The instrument was bigger than Snufkin’s paws as he held it to his mouth and began to blow into it. The instrument let out a shrill shriek of harsh wind as it was blown into without a sense of harmony whatsoever. At the sound, the woodland creatures scattered, startled.

The Joxter barked a laugh when his son brought the instrument away from his mouth, confused. “It can’t play itself, boy,” the Joxter spoke warmly, amused. “You have to know how to play it.”

Snufkin handed the instrument back to his father. “Will you teach me, Pappa?”

“One day, son, but not now.” Snufkin nodded in response with a smile, satisfied with the answer he received.

“It’s just a silly little metal bar,” came Little My’s voice. “How hard can it be?”

“You’d be surprised, My,” the Joxter answered. “Would you like to try?”

“No thanks. Not after Snufkin just spit all in it.” My’s blunt response made her stepfather laugh while Snufkin blushed.

“I did not!” Snufkin protested. Despite his embarrassed flush, he had a small smile of amusement.

“You might as well have!”

“Don’t fight, children,” the Joxter spoke fondly with a soft chuckle. “We’re almost there.” Their father’s words made the two little ones shut their mouths, excited to get there.

The Joxter stopped when the family arrived to a field of bushes all around, filled with little dots of unidentifiable things that the children couldn’t figure out what they were from their position. They looked up at the Mumrik father with a readable question in their expression.

“Fruit,” the Joxter answered their silent questions with a grin. “We’re picking fruit, kids. Would you like to do that?”

Mymble Jr. and Snufkin exclaimed with excitement as they grabbed their baskets and ran forward into the rows of tall bushes. Little My ran behind them, still excited but noticeably less than her siblings. She had been expecting an adventure, but this would do. The Joxter hurried after them. “Stay close by! Don’t get lost. I’ll never hear the end of it from your mother!”

Snufkin stopped with his oldest sister, crouching down to begin picking fruit from a bush. “Look, Snufkin! Strawberries!” Mymble Jr. smiled, overjoyed, holding one of the very round, bright red berries in her palm. They were nicely plump and very ripe. “Pick them like this!” The oldest sister began gently snapping them off their stems as demonstration, placing them in her basket. Snufkin followed her in her demonstration, putting some in his own basket. His paws became red with strawberry juice from accidentally grasping too roughly, squishing the fruit in his paws.

Little My hurried over to them. “There’s cherries here too!”

The Joxter stood back but still close by, watching his children excitedly run around, picking fruits to fill their baskets. He looked down when Snufkin ran up to him and looked up at him. His basket had a few cherries and strawberries in it. The Joxter crouched down to meet his son’s eyes.

“Are there any raspberries, Pappa?” the Mumrik kit asked, his head tilted to the side. His father shook his head.

“Not yet, Snufkin. They start ripening about a month from now. If I’m not here, I’m sure your mother will take you out picking.”

Snufkin smiled in response, nodding his head. “Okay!” He reached his paw out and grasped his father’s, urging him to follow along. Without any resistance, the elder Mumrik stood up and allowed his son to drag him along, following him. “Help me pick fruit, Pappa! Little My said I couldn’t get as much fruit as her!”

The Joxter huffed a laugh as he knelt down with a smile, beginning to help his son fill his basket. “She made a game, huh? Everything is a competition with you kids…don’t you ever just want to sit back and enjoy things casually?”

“I like games, Pappa,” Snufkin answered bluntly, not looking at his father as he continued to pick the best, most ripe looking fruit he could find, putting them in his basket. “I want to win.”

“Is Junior in on it too?”

“Yes! I want to win, but…I think she will win. She’s very smart, and she’s the best! I love her!”

The Joxter felt something inside him melt into a warm feeling that coursed through his body in waves at the sound of his son speaking about his oldest sister. It was just simply too sweet, he wanted to gather the kit into his arms and hug him, and never let go. He resisted, though.

“I love Little My, too!” Snufkin continued on. “She is very smart too! Did you know, she can actually be very sweet?”

“Really now?” the Joxter hummed idly as he continued to pick fruit.

“Oh, yes! She is very sweet to me, but she’ll never say it!” 

The Joxter sighed warmly, listening to his son ramble on about his siblings. He obviously looked up to his two older sisters a lot, and it made for a very cute conversation to hear.

“Snufkin,” the Joxter began after awhile, a small smile on his face. “Don’t you think it’s a little unfair for me to help you with your game when your sisters are on their own?”

“Not unfair. They’re bigger than me!”

“Technically, you’re bigger than My. We don’t call you Little Snufkin for a reason, you’re a growing boy,” the Joxter laughed.

“Well, Little My’s older than me,” the kit grinned in response, correcting himself. “It’s not unfair!”

The Joxter was about to say something else when Little My’s voice sounded from afar, announcing that time was up on their game and urging her two siblings to come forward so they could compare their baskets. Snufkin hurriedly urged his father to go away so it would look like the kit gathered his fruit on his own, and his father got to his feet with a snort and wandered off, playing along with his little game. He approached the three children when they gathered, appearing as if he had just been wandering along the field and definitely not helping his youngest child.

Little My was inspecting the baskets, studying the piles of strawberries and cherries closely in each basket. “How’d you get so much, Snufkin?” she asked with a suspicious glance, one brow raised as she looked into the expression of her younger brother. He had a casual stare, his features not wavering at all, making for the perfect façade.

“Dunno,” he answered with a shrug of his shoulders and a small glance towards his father when My stopped looking at him, returning to the baskets. 

After a moment longer, Little My stepped back from the basket with her arms crossed. “I think Snufkin won,” she huffed, but she still had that suspicious stare aimed towards her baby brother. She pointed a finger at him in playful accusation. “But I think you had help!”

Snufkin only giggled, giving away his guiltiness immediately. Little My threw her paws up in disbelief. “You did get help! You brat!” Despite her words, it was all just play, speaking fondly of her brother.

“Pappa helped me,” Snufkin said with a grin as he pointed to the Mumrik father who stood behind him with his paws shoved in the pockets of his pants, watching his children with a small, lazy smile.

“I should have known,” My peered at him with a devilish smile. “Why didn’t you help me?”

The Joxter shrugged his shoulders. “Snufkin asked first.”

Little My playfully shoved a finger in Snufkin’s direction. “You. Disqualified.” She turned to her older sister. “Mymble wins!”

Mymble Jr. only smiled as she took in her true victory with a soft giggle, looking over to her baby brother who was clapping his paws for her in celebration. With another giggle, she did a little courtesy bow. It wasn’t expected when her next move was to stand up straight and run towards her father, running into him and clinging onto him, her head pressed against his lower chest as she wrapped him into a hug. “Thank you for bringing us out here, Pappa,” she said warmly, her eyes closed as she sunk into the embrace she had created. The Mumrik returned her hug, moving to kneel down when the other two children came forward, wanting a hug as well.

“Thank you, Pappa!” they echoed their older sister as he hugged them. 

While the Joxter was knelt down, with a giggle, Mymble Jr. climbed onto his back, wanting him to carry her. She laid on his back while his bag was draped off of one shoulder to make room. She was very lightweight, however she was definitely heavier than Snufkin and Little My. He stood up and hoisted her onto his back, her arms wrapped around his neck and his arms hooked underneath her legs at the joint behind her knee to support her. He carried her basket for her while the other two children carried their own. They walked out of the field and back into the forest. The Mumrik father led them down a different path from which they came. He still knew the way home, but he just wanted to enjoy different scenery. He knew almost every part of this forest.

He didn’t expect, however, when he saw gates off in the distance. Gates that hadn’t been there before the last time he was here two years ago. He could feel his blood instantly boil at the sight, knowing immediately why they were there.

“Pappa?” Mymble Jr. was the one who spoke up for her own confusion as well as the other two’s, noticing the sudden change in atmosphere around their father. “What’s wrong?”

The Joxter was silent, unsure of what to do. He couldn’t possibly do this with the children around. What if he got caught again? But, yet…he found it almost impossible to just walk away from. It was a tricky situation. 

If he got caught, surely the children wouldn’t be locked away as well. However, they could get taken away…or, worse, sent to an orphanage. He remembered the stories his old friend Moomin told of his time growing up in one as a young troll, and shuddered at the thought of his children ending up in the paws of a strict teacher who never allowed them any fun. Even worse, their mother would be distraught and heartbroken. 

Still, he couldn’t just walk away. 

With a small, determined huff, he looked to his children. “Stay close to me, children. Stay quiet,” he spoke with a hushed voice, letting Mymble Jr. down off his back. A little frightened, the oldest daughter grasped his paw, wanting to hold it as the four walked along. The father led them forward, closer to the gate, until he stopped just behind some bushes, peering over to inspect the area within the gate. Wherever the keeper was, they obviously were not around as of right now. He let his bag fall off his shoulder and he laid it down in the bush.

Within the gates, they could see fruit trees with ripened fruit hanging from them. Snufkin was the only one to point it out. “Fruit, Pappa! Are we picking those too? How do we get to it?”

Little My was the first one to catch on. “Joxter,” she began hesitantly, the use of his name, rather than a form of addressing him as a father, feeling like a pin pricking his skin. “This is owned land.” As much as Little My would usually be up for the challenge, she was a little hesitant after hearing about her stepfather’s latest journey with getting caught.

Mymble Jr. caught on next, staring at her stepfather with wide, worried, frightened eyes. “Don’t, Pappa,” she insisted, her voice hushed below a whisper. It cracked and quivered slightly. “You can’t! What if…”

The Joxter shushed her with a small kiss to her forehead. “It’s okay,” he whispered, comfortingly pressing his forehead to her’s. He said nothing more, only held the position for a moment longer before drawing away. He sent a glance back into the park. Still empty.

“Snuf, climb onto me,” the Mumrik father ordered gently and the kit did as instructed, climbing onto his back. “Kids, you can stay here. If you want to come along, stick close. Otherwise, stay hidden. If someone you don’t know finds you, run, and stay close together. I’ll find you.”

The two Mymble daughters only nodded silently along to their stepfather’s words. Mymble Jr.’s fear increased while Little My began to feel scared herself, unused to the serious way her stepfather spoke. With a nod to both of them, the Joxter hurried off with Snufkin on his back, stopping at the bars of the gate. He inspected once more before he moved to climb up the gate.

He stopped when he heard footsteps behind them. He turned quickly, only to be relieved when he saw it was just his stepdaughters. They had stayed in the bush for a small moment before quickly running forward, wanting to be close to their Pappa because they felt safe around him. Wordlessly, the Joxter got down from the gate and first helped Mymble Jr. climb over it. Then, he allowed Little My to join Snufkin on his back as he carried the other two children over the gate. He landed beside his oldest stepdaughter and Mymble Jr. clung onto him as soon as he landed, scared. Little My got down from his back and landed on the ground, holding onto her father’s leg.

“You two, hide in that bush over there,” he spoke quietly, addressing the two Mymbles, pointing towards a bush that sat along the gate. 

“What about me, Pappa?” Snufkin asked, his voice muffled because he had his face buried in the fabric of the Joxter’s coat, clinging on.

“Just hold on tight,” was the only warning the Joxter gave as he began climbing up a fruit tree. “Let this be a lesson to you, son. You’ll be doing this one day when you’re older too.”

“What if I don’t want to, Pappa?”

“Oh, trust me,” the Joxter smiled. “You will.” He climbed up to a branch, first checking to make sure it was thick and sturdy. When it was, he began crawling along it, his claws sinking into the bark for extra grip. He began picking at the growing fruit. They were peaches. “You wanted some of this fruit, didn’t you, Snuf?” 

He felt the kit nod against his back so the Joxter continued to gather more of the sweet fruit, carrying as much as he could in one arm. When he had a few of them he began to climb down the tree, heading over to the bush that his two children hid in. He handed some of the peaches off to them. “We’ll open the gate doors and take these back to our baskets, then I’ll do what I need to around the park. We’ll be gone as quick as we came, okay?” His children only nodded in response, the two daughters taking the fruit and leaving the bush as they followed him to the park entrance.

Quickly and quietly, the Joxter opened the gate. The doors opened with a light creaking sound that made him flinch, but it didn’t draw the attention of anything nearby. The family quickly hurried over to where they’d left the baskets and his bag by the bushes outside, dropping the fruit inside the baskets. He then walked back inside the park, his children following him while Snufkin was still on his back. The Joxter began plucking out any restrictive sign he found that indicated what they were doing was trespassing, throwing them into a pile in the middle of the park. 

“I’ll never understand you Mumriks,” Little My mused with a huff, trying to mask her slight fear.

“Maybe not. But I’m sure you’ll join along right next to your brother when he’s older.”

“I want to be just like Pappa,” Snufkin beamed, despite his previous words of slight disagreement. As his father worked, he observed, and had begun to see the point in all of this. He still had a lot to understand but it would come to him as he grew up.

No more words were shared between the group when they heard footsteps approaching them, trudging through the woods. “I know I didn’t leave this gate open,” a voice mused aloud in obvious confusion. The Joxter and his children were frozen in place when the source of the voice’s eyes met the Joxter’s cold stare. The Mumrik watched as the Park Keeper’s expression twisted into shock, and then anger. “Hey, you! What are you doing on my land!”

The Joxter was still frozen on his feet when the Hemulen began running forward to grab him. Right before the Keeper had the chance to grab him, the Mumrik came to his senses and dodged his hold, moving out of the way and kicking his leg out to topple the Park Keeper over. With a growl, the Hemulen was sent forward to the ground. He tried to recover quickly to grab the intruders but before he could, the Mumrik was already rushing out of the park through the open gates with his children close behind.

“Trespassers!” the Hemulen shouted after them. “I’ll remember your faces!” 

The Mumrik father ran as fast as he could, darting through the trees and brush to get back to where they had left their belongings. When they arrived, they hurriedly checked around, making sure the Keeper wasn’t following them. They hid behind the bushes and quickly gathered their belongings. The Joxter hastily hoisted his bag onto one shoulder and grabbed ahold of Snufkin on his back, holding him in one arm with the kit’s basket in his other paw. The other two children carried their own baskets. They began running again while the father led the way. None of them wanted to fully stop yet to rest, not feeling completely safe until they were far away from the park, even if the Hemulen wasn’t chasing after them to begin with. He only hoped that the Hemulen didn’t go to the police about them. Even if he did, the Mymble family lived in a rather secluded area, so he wasn’t sure if anyone would recognize the Hemulen’s facial descriptions to begin with.

The Joxter finally came to a stop when he could see the house just up ahead, panting, out of breath. The two Mymble daughters were out of breath as well, stopping beside him.

“That was fun!” Little My grinned excitedly as she spoke between pants. Her previous fears had vanished, enjoying the thrill. “Did you see the look on that Hemulen’s face?” Snufkin shared her excitement, giggling, climbing down from his father’s hold to join My on the ground.

The oldest Mymble daughter, however, did not have the same excitement as her younger brother and sister. She sniffled once, her lip quivering, eyes wide and struck with fear. Her two siblings voices came to a stop when they looked at her, concerned.

“Hey, hey,” Joxter looked down at his oldest stepdaughter after he had followed the gazes of the two younger children. He knelt down on one knee, placing his paws on her shoulders. He was unsure of how exactly to comfort the child, but he tried regardless. “It’s okay, Junior. What’s wrong? Talk to your Pappa.”

“That was scary, Pappa!” Mymble Jr. whined, looking at her stepfather with a teary gaze. She let tears slip out but the Joxter was quick to wipe them away with his paws. “You almost got caught! What if you hadn’t of gotten away? What would that Hemulen have done to us?”

The Joxter felt sudden guilt rush through his body, feeling rather awful for having put his oldest daughter through such fear. His other children stayed silent, feeling guilty themselves, like they felt bad for finding enjoyment in the action when she did not.

The Joxter wasn’t sure how to respond, only wrapped an arm around her back and brought her forward, letting the Mymble cling onto him and weep her fears into the fabric of his shoulder. She nuzzled her face against his shoulder. The Joxter only gently pried her away when her crying came to a stop and her panicked breathing had begun to calm. He looked into her eyes, which refused to meet his blue ones.

“It’s okay, alright? I’m here now. We’re almost home, Mymble,” the Joxter tried, standing up and taking her paw in his own, squeezing it comfortingly. “You won’t ever have to do that again. When we get home, I’ll fix some fruit for you.”

Mymble Jr. only nodded and the Joxter began walking again towards the house. Silence came across the family, besides the occasional sniffle from the oldest Mymble daughter. When they arrived at the house, the Joxter opened the door to let the family in then shut it behind him. Silently, he took his hat off his head and set it aside, revealing a long, thick mop of dark brown hair underneath.

Mymblemamma looked up from the book she had still been reading, her gaze first meeting the Joxter’s. He had a weird, unreadable expression. “Oh, welcome back! Did you have fun?” She looked at her children, and stopped when she saw Mymble Jr.’s upset appearance, her eyes red and puffy from crying. “Oh, my, what’s wrong, dear? What happened?” She looked back at the Joxter again, expecting an answer from him, now being able to read his weird expression as one of guilt.

“Park Keeper,” was all the Joxter offered as an explanation. Mymblemamma understood immediately.

“Oh, dear, you didn’t…”

“Yeah.” It was obvious that the Joxter felt awful for what he put his oldest stepdaughter through. He looked at Mymble Jr. with a guilty expression and knelt down to her level. “Stay with your Mamma, alright? I’ll be back.” The daughter nodded and ran forward to her mother, clinging onto her while Mymblemamma pulled her into a hug. Meanwhile, the Joxter took his bag off and went off into the kitchen with the baskets of fruit. He turned on the sink and began washing the fruit in his paws, setting them aside into three different bowls to sort them once they were washed.

When he finished, he began picking fruit from the cherry bowl and strawberry bowl, placing them into a smaller bowl. After he filled up the small bowl, he grabbed a peach, holding it in his paw. In his other paw, he grabbed the little bowl and carried both things out into the living room. He sat down on the couch that was beside the Mymble mother’s chair. Before he could offer the fruit over to the oldest daughter, she ran forward, climbing up onto her stepfather’s lap. With a soft hum, he handed her the bowl and the peach, his offering apologetic.

“I’m sorry, dear,” the Joxter spoke softly, taking out the tie that held up her hair and running his paws through the long locks of orange in a comforting manner.

“It’s okay, Pappa,” Mymble Jr. spoke honestly, eating her bowl of fruit. She took out a strawberry between her fingers and gave it to him as an offering, giggling when he took it and ate it.

“I see everything’s okay now,” Mymblemamma smiled at the sight. “Did you get anything out of your visit to the park, dear?”

“Took some peaches and took down the signs,” the Joxter answered in response with a small smirk. “The Hemulen saw us, though.”

“Oh, my,” Mymblemamma held a paw up to her mouth. “Do you think everything will be okay?” 

“Surely,” the Joxter hummed. His two other children climbed up on the couch to join him and their older sister. Mymble Jr. offered some fruit over to her younger siblings. Some of the other little children were playing inside the fort that still stood proudly, while others were most likely in their rooms.

“I’m just glad you’re safe, dear,” the Mymble hummed. “It’s about time for us to fix dinner, don’t you think?” The Joxter nodded and urged his children off of him as he moved to stand. With the help of most of the other children, they took down the fort after deciding it was time for it to go down, and they finally moved the kitchen chairs back to their rightful place. The two parents fixed dinner for all the children and they ate at the table, the Joxter sharing a story of the travels of today to the other children while they all ate. When they finished eating, and finished cleaning up, it was dark outside.

Something that Snufkin had been waiting for all day came within his vision as he ran out into the living room, small lights lighting up within the room. “Fireflies!”

“This must have been what you were talking about,” the Mymble mother laughed as she joined her youngest son in the room, taking in the sight of the little bugs floating around, occasionally lighting up within the dark room.

The Joxter joined them in the room, kneeling down beside his son to look at him, an arm wrapped around his little back. “I still have the jar in my bag. I think it’s time we catch them again and release them.”

“Why, Pappa? They can live here!”

“Oh, Snuf, I’m sure they’d love to…But just like us, they have homes too, and families who miss them dearly.”

“Oh, okay, Pappa. I would miss everyone too if I was taken from home. Let’s get them!”

The Joxter smiled, in amazement at how sweet the kit was. He had never been sweet as a child, no, he had always been an unruly, mischievous kitten who spent his free time sleeping when he wasn’t getting into trouble. He patted the kit’s back before standing to his feet, moving to his bag to take out the jar. “Okay, kids. Catch any firefly you see and close your paws around them, and bring them to me.”

The kids scattered around the room and did as instructed, watching carefully around the room so they could catch any firefly they saw. Snufkin was the first to catch one and his father noticed, looking over at the boy with a smile.

“Good job, Snuf! Now, son, bring it to—“

Before he could finish his sentence, Snufkin brought his paws up to his mouth, letting his curiosity get the best of him as he ate the poor bug. His face twisted into a look of disgust as he spat, a nasty, bitter taste stuck on his tastebuds.

“Snufkin, you’re not supposed to eat them!” the Joxter couldn’t bring himself to scold the child as him and his lover began laughing. “They have families, remember? Don’t eat another one.”

“Sorry, Pappa,” Snufkin only grinned, catching another one that lit up next to him. He brought it over to his father who opened the jar for him, putting the bug inside. The Joxter quickly closed the jar. “They just looked tasty.”

The other children and Snufkin continued to catch them and bring them forward until the jar was full with the same amount of fireflies the Mumrik father had brought in the night before, and the room was no longer filled with occasional glowing lights. Mymblemamma turned on a light in the room. 

“Come, children, let’s go release these,” the Joxter said softly as he stood up on his feet, heading out of the door after he opened it, the children running behind him, excited. Mymblemamma followed him out as well, shutting the door behind her.

The Joxter walked out in the grass, setting the jar down and opening it, quickly stepping back. He stood next to the children and his lover and took her paw into his own as the whole family watched the fireflies slowly fly out of the jar, lighting up every now and then and mixing in with the fireflies that were already around their yard. 

“I believe it’s time for bed,” Mymblemamma said after a while, letting out a yawn. The yawn spread through her children as they realized their own sleepiness. The Joxter only nodded along to her words, his eyelids drooping slightly. He padded forward and reached down to grab his now empty jar, carrying it in his arms and putting it in his bag once the whole family went back into the house. The little Mymble children, as well as Little My and Mymble Jr., ran to their rooms to undress for bed. Mymblemamma disappeared into a room and came back with a night outfit for Snufkin. She undressed him, slipping a gown over his head.

“Are you sleeping with me and your Pappa tonight, Snufkin?” Mymblemamma asked her youngest son with a soft hum as she finished dressing him.

“Yes, Mamma,” Snufkin nodded sleepily. “Is that okay?”

“Of course, sweetie,” she smiled as she took him into her arms, cradling him. She brought him up to cover his face and head in kisses, much to the kitten’s giggling protests. “I’m glad you had fun today. It’s time to sleep now, though.”

Snufkin only nodded in sleepy agreement, yawning. He began to lightly doze off as the Mymble mother carried him off to her room, her equally-sleepy Mumrik lover following close behind her. The two parents got into the bed and the Mymble mother laid her son down in the middle of them. They pressed close to their son, sharing their warmth over to him and both parents fell asleep peacefully, knowing their children were sleeping peacefully as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and sticking around for this long story! I hope you enjoy this chapter!
> 
> The next chapter will take place about a month after where this one left off!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A month has passed ever since the Joxter came back from his last 2 year long trip, and finally the day has come for him to leave. Snufkin is painfully aware of the fact that his father will have to leave again, but he comes up with a plan to sneak off and join his father on his journey. Will he be able to successfully catch up with him?

It had been a little over a month ever since the Joxter came back around after his two year long disappearance. True to the Mumrik’s word, he stuck around longer than he usually did, spending time with his kids every day for a month to make up for it. In this time, he taught the kids how to do things he did, like fish, and he also taught Snufkin how to play the harmonica like he had promised. Only the Mumrik kit had been interested in learning of the ways of his father, catching onto things easily. 

Despite the Joxter’s current long stay, the lingering reminder that he had to leave eventually was above everyone’s head like a gloomy cloud. In fact, he had told everyone beforehand that that day would be today. 

The Mymble family had seen it coming and accepted it, but Snufkin didn’t want it to happen. No, he didn’t want his father to leave at all. Ever since his father first announced the date of his departure, the little kit had been dreading the day, watching every morning as his mother marked off days on a calendar, his heart sinking deeper and deeper the closer they got to the day his father would leave.

He had to find some way to stop his father from leaving. He didn’t quite understand the Joxter’s need for solitude, but he wasn’t going to have it. He wanted his father around all the time and wanted to grow up under his constant blue-eyed watch.

This brought Snufkin where he was in present day, sitting on the floor of the living room and blowing away at his father’s harmonica while the Joxter sat with legs crossed right across from him, his head propped in the palm of his paw, eyes closed and comfortable as he listened to his son play. The notes that came from the instrument were still rather messy, and there was the occasional moment where Snufkin blew too hard and the note came out shrill, but other than that, the kit was beginning to get the hang of it.

“Look, Pappa, listen,” Snufkin brought the harmonica away from his mouth to speak, his tail wagging back and forth. “I made you a song!”

The Joxter hummed a soft sound of acknowledgement, urging Snufkin to play it. The kit breathed in and brought the mouthorgan back to his lips, blowing into it softly into a soft, sweet, slow tune—albeit still a little clumsy. He dragged the instrument along his mouth, the notes increasing and decreasing in pitch with whichever way he moved it, varying the tones of his song. It made for a rather sad song with an adventurous undertone. When he was finished, he looked over at his father with beaming eyes. The Joxter had moved to lay on his side, head still propped in his palm. 

“Good job, kitten,” the Joxter opened his eyes to smile at him. “Very artistic. You’ll be a master at that thing in no time.”

Snufkin’s tail increased in its wagging. “Thank you, Pappa! Will I ever be as good as you?”

“Surely you will in no time. I’d say you’d become better of a player than me by tomorrow.”

“Really! Oh, stay one more day, won’t you? We will see!”

The Joxter looked at him a little awkwardly, letting out a hesitant laugh. “You know I can’t do that, Snufkin…You can play for me when I get back.”

Snufkin had a thought sitting on the tip of his tongue but he bit it back, not speaking it aloud. He was just fretful, thinking of all the possibilities like if his father didn’t return for another few years just like last time. He only looked at his father, giving him a small nod with a blank expression.

The Joxter sat back up and crossed his legs again, letting out a yawn. Him and his son were the only ones in the house—the Mymble family had gone out to pick raspberries. Mymblemamma offered for the Joxter to go but he declined, wanting to laze around. Because the elder Mumrik didn’t go, his little son stayed behind as well.

“Why didn’t you go with your mother?” the Joxter asked his son curiously, looking at him behind a sleepy gaze with lidded eyes. His chin rested in the palm of his paw and he tapped his knee idly with his other paw.

“I just didn’t want to,” said Snufkin plainly, not providing a further answer.

“Raspberries have always been one of your favorite fruits. Ever since you were a younger kitten when you could start taking things besides milk.”

Snufkin only grumbled, his response incomprehensible, if it was even a response at all. The sudden change in the kit’s mood caught the father’s attention. The Joxter leaned over slightly with a question in his eyes, though he had a good idea on why the child was upset. “What’s wrong, kit?”

“You should know good enough…”

The Joxter only sighed, sitting back up. “We’re not doing this, Snufkin,” he spoke with a pointed tone, his voice firm. He didn’t speak angrily, he would never be angry with his son. He was more so only slightly frustrated with himself, frustrated over his inability to help the kit understand his mental needs—and frustrated over the fact that he had needs to begin with that prioritized themselves over being in his childrens’ lives.

Snufkin had a cold stare pointed towards the ground, not meeting the Joxter’s eyes. He took the harmonica and set it on the floor, shoving it towards his father. With another soft sigh, the elder Mumrik took it in his paws, pocketing it.

“Please don’t be angry with me, Snufkin,” the father tried gently, changing his tone. “I know you’re upset, but you have your mother and your sisters and brothers. You won’t even realize I’m gone.”

“But I want you too,” Snufkin frowned, trying to resist the sniffle that dared sound but failing to do so. The way he spoke was soft, almost defeated, as he brought his eyes up to pensively gaze at his father. “I want you around too.”

The Joxter softened at the look his son gave him. He frowned, unsure of what to say. “I know,” he finally said after a while. “Listen, it won’t be like last time, okay? I won’t be gone for a long time—in fact, I’ll try my best to stay clear away from any trouble just to be sure.”

Snufkin sniffled again. “And when would you be back?”

“Maybe a few weeks from now…a few months at most.”

Snufkin nodded. Despite the impression he gave off, he was not at all satisfied with the answer he received. He didn’t care how short the time was before his father came back. He didn’t want the Mumrik to leave at all, he wanted him to stay forever.

The Joxter smiled, unable to read between the lines when it came to Snufkin’s thoughts. “Feeling better?”

“Yeah.”

“…Would you like to do something? It will be a bit before your mother returns with the children. We have the whole house to ourselves, so…”

Snufkin peered at his father curiously, trying to read his mindset. The Mumrik father must be trying to make compromises for his son, wanting to spend time with him before he leaves. “Like what, Pappa?”

The Joxter shrugged, his gaze darting around the room as he thought, trying to come up with ideas. “I mean, I’m not the best at baking, but I could try if you want something special.”

“I think I want some tarts, Pappa.”

“Tarts?” the Joxter’s expression twisted into a perplexed one. “No experience with that, but I can try if you truly would like…You don’t want to go fishing instead?”

Snufkin couldn’t help but giggle, amused by his father’s silliness, his sudden anger and sadness leaving him. “No, Pappa. Fruit tarts!”

The Joxter hoisted himself up onto his paws, standing up. “Alright, let’s go to the kitchen.” The father walked into the room, albeit a little hesitantly, with the child following after him. He took out the recipe book that his lover owned, flipping through the pages until he came across how to make fruit tarts. Meanwhile, Snufkin got out a bowl of strawberries.

“Can you make strawberry fruit tarts, Pappa?” the kit asked, holding the bowl.

The Joxter peered down at him, taking the bowl from his grasp. “I mean. I can try, certainly.” He turned back to the recipe book, reading over the required measurements for ingredients. He could read, but he didn’t exactly understand the measurements. He turned to Snufkin, who had climbed on the counter to look at the book as well. The kit only shrugged in response to his father’s glance. He couldn’t even read at all.

The Joxter only frowned and decided to do his best to guess the measurements. He turned the oven on to preheat while he worked. He got out a bowl and grabbed the needed ingredients and he began pouring them into a bowl to create the outer crust layer of the tart. After beating the ingredients together, he began working on beating together ingredients in a separate bowl, creating the tart’s filling. He was rather messy and clumsy with it, some of the cream flying up and finding its way to his clothes. 

When the oven began beeping, the Joxter began searching for a tart pan, but to no luck. He resorted for grabbing a regular round tray instead, having no other option. He began to pour the crust mixture inside the pan and then set it in the oven to bake, setting the timer. 

“What do you think, Snufkin,” the Joxter said with a grin, peering over at his son who had been watching him the entire time. “Think I’m doing it right?”

“I don’t know, Pappa. You’re a little clumsy.”

“Mm. Everybody’s gotta start somewhere.” 

The two idly chatted while the crust baked. When the timer went off, he checked inside to take a look, but the crust was not at all how it was supposed to turn out. It was rather runny and running off the side of the pan. Somewhere along the line, he had used too much of one, or more, ingredients. The Joxter observed his work, a slight look of disappointment in his expression.

“Is it ready, Pappa?” Snufkin asked with a smile before taking a look inside the oven for himself. His smile dropped and his brows arched, confused. “Oh…Is it supposed to do that?”

“I don’t think so,” the Joxter murmured, scratching the back of his head. He grabbed a cloth and grasped the tray, taking it out. The crust was hardened at the bottom but runny at the top, dripping onto the floor as he brought it out. He set it on the counter.

“Can we still eat it?” Snufkin asked, tilting is head.

“I don’t know, son,” the Joxter frowned. “It doesn’t look like it’d be too good.” Regardless, he poured the filling inside, allowing his son to try it once it had cooled down a little. His face contorted into something of disgust. The filling was bitter, and the crust was just extremely unpleasant. The Mumrik father couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him at the sight of his son, sticking his tongue out as he spat.

“Not good?” the Joxter hummed, sitting up from where he had been leaning on the table. “Your mother can do better. I’m not sure if she’ll make them today, though.”

“That’s okay, Pappa,” Snufkin said as he offered him a smile. “I think I lost my appetite.” His brutal honesty made the Joxter chuckle. He decided to leave the failed treat on the counter for Mymblemamma to inspect once she got back.

“Is there anything else you’d like to do, kit?” the Joxter asked, looking at his son curiously. “We don’t have to right now, of course—we still have the whole day ahead of us.”

Snufkin looked back at him then his gaze wandered, eyes searching the room in thought. “Nap?”

The Joxter smiled. “Exactly what I was thinking. We’ll do something else together today, okay?” The Mumrik kit nodded as his father took him into his arms, holding him and carrying him off to the living room. The elder Mumrik plopped down on the couch and sprawled out, his son sitting on top of his chest. 

“Pappa?” Snufkin began, looking at his father beneath him, watching as the grown Mumrik’s face relaxed into a dozing, lazy expression. The Joxter made a small murmur of acknowledgement, prompting the kit to continue. “What will we do today?”

“Don’t know,” the Joxter responded sleepily, letting out a yawn. Snufkin only continued to stare down at him, watching as his face drifted back to the lazed state with closed eyes. Snufkin said nothing more and almost immediately afterwards his father had fallen into a light sleep.

With a sigh, Snufkin curled up on his father’s chest. He could feel the gentle rise and fall of the elder Mumrik’s frame as he breathed in and out, peaceful in a light sleep. Despite being the one to suggest taking a nap, the kit could not find the ability to will himself to sleep. He was too caught up in his mind as he let the privacy to his own thoughts take over him. He began to think again about what would be happening tonight—his father leaving. It had been the only thing that was ever really on his mind lately.

What if his father was late again? Or, worse, what if his father never returned at all?

A small tremble ran through Snufkin’s tail at the thought. He shook his head lightly, trying to shake away the thought, but the fear and anxiety only lingered in his mind like a terrible itch that no scratch could satisfy.

The kit lifted his head partially, looking into his father’s face again. He looked so peaceful while he was sleeping, like everything was fine and this was all just a normal, happy day. Well, it may be for everyone else, but the day felt absolutely depressing for the kit. He didn’t understand how everyone else could go about their days, knowing the Joxter would be leaving for a bit later on. Was he the only one who cared?

Maybe they had just found better ways to cope than him. Or maybe they had complete trust in the Joxter.

Wait, Snufkin trusted his father, of course he did. Or, did he?

Snufkin groaned internally, his expression twisting into frustration as he continued to stare at the sleeping form of his dad. He suddenly had the urge to yell, scream, cry, wail…anything that would make his father stay. He felt tears stinging hot in his eyes, burning his throat with pain that felt like fire engulfing his esophagus as he tried to hold them back and stifle the choked sobs that dared escape his lips. He shakily lifted an arm and wiped away at his wet eyes with hasty movements, while also being careful to not be too jumpy as to not disturb the Joxter or possibly startle him to his senses.

Snufkin tried to have better faith in his father. He had promised he would try to stay out of trouble, and he had even given him a rough estimate of when he’d possibly be back. What more could the kit ask for?

Well, that was a silly question. He just wanted to be able to ask his Pappa to never leave his side again.

He forced his gaze away from the Joxter’s face, curling back up into a little ball. He shook the thoughts away to get them out of his head, but they only crawled back like little pests, biting away at his mind. In his mindset, he began to formulate a plan—one that would not at all be expected of him to do. A plan where the Joxter couldn’t turn him away.

He figured it’d be a good idea to sneak out of the house and follow after his father when he left, only revealing himself when they were far enough away from home to the point where the Joxter would be too lazy to take him back to the Mymble house. He would have no choice but to bring Snufkin along for the remainder of his trip!

Snufkin grinned to himself, finding peace with his mind as he steadily began to calm down from his previous anxieties. Yes, this would all definitely work out, and he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t excited. The kit began to drift off into a peaceful sleep as he continued to plan out his mischief until the only things left running through his head were his own dreams.

 

Snufkin came to his senses when he heard a light yawn behind him. He uncurled himself and stretched his limbs, sprawled out on top of his father’s chest. He looked up, sensing the feeling of a warm stare burning through his fabric and onto his skin. His brown eyes met his father’s own blue ones, his gaze cold and icy yet filled with warmth all the same. The elder Mumrik squinted his eyes slowly, a sign of Mumrik affection. The kit shared the gesture.

“Sleep good?” the Joxter asked with another yawn, his eyes darting to a clock that was hanging on the wall. “We must not have slept for any longer than an hour. It feels like it’s been a whole day.”

“Yes, Pappa!” Snufkin grinned with sudden excitement, remembering the plan he had created right before he fell asleep. The Joxter looked at him curiously, unaware of his son’s thoughts.

“Well, you’re certainly in a good mood. What’s the occasion?”

“Just needed a nap is all,” Snufkin answered plainly, keeping his voice casual as to not act like he was hiding something. The kit sat up completely and slid off of his father, landing on his feet on the floor. “When are we going to go do something, Pappa?”

“Woah, hold on,” the Joxter laughed warmly in response to his child’s enthusiasm. “I just woke up. We haven’t even decided what we’re going to do yet.”

“I want to go fishing, Pappa!”

“Huh, alright. That’s all you’ve ever wanted to do for the past month. I suppose you like it?”

“Yes! Can we go now, please?”

“Patience, kitten,” the Joxter hummed with a soft chuckle as he got to his feet. “I’ll grab my bag. Do you know where your pole is?”

Snufkin nodded and with a grin he ran off to his oldest sister’s room and dug through her closet. He pulled out a little fishing pole, perfect for his smaller size. The Joxter had crafted it specially for him and Snufkin simply adored it. The little kit had asked Mymble Jr. if he could hide it in her room to which his older sister agreed without any hesitance, understanding why he had wanted to hide it. Snufkin wanted to keep it out of the paws of his other siblings, knowing it could risk the chance of being snapped when it came to their rowdiness. With the fishing pole in his paw, he left the room to join his father who had just finished hoisting his bag on his back.

“Ready already?” the Joxter looked at his little son with a grin, to which the kit nodded in excitement. “Alright, let’s go.”

Together, the father and son walked out of the house and down along the path, into the forest. From there, they kept walking, the elder Mumrik leading his kit along to the spot they had been going to for the past month, and a spot that the Joxter frequented regularly every time he came around to visit, with or without his children. When Snufkin saw the river up ahead, he ran forward, stopping along the river bank and dropping his pole.

“What do you say, Snufkin,” the Joxter began as he knelt down beside him, letting his bag fall off his shoulder. “Will we actually be catching something today to keep it?”

“No, Pappa!”

Ever since the Joxter taught Snufkin how to fish, the kit had been insistent on releasing them immediately afterwards, caring for the little water-dwelling creatures. He had always refused to let his father take one home to cook. Although the Joxter couldn’t say he had acted the same way as a kitten—he never truly cared and only ever really saw them as pretty sights to see when he wanted to relax by a river, or food—but he could imagine Snufkin growing out of this mindset when he was older.

“Alright, alright,” the Joxter waved his paws in mock surrender, laughing lightly. “Only releasing.”

“Right,” Snufkin grinned triumphantly, casting his pole in after his father had put some bait on it. The Joxter cast his own pole out further away from Snufkin’s, watching as the bobber drifted down the river’s stream until the line went out as far as it could go. 

Snufkin let out a small chirp when he felt a tug at his line, clumsily reeling it in like his father had shown him. Out came a little fish attached to the line. With an excited grin, he showed it off to his father.

“Good work, son!” the Joxter grinned, sharing his excitement to make his son happy. “You caught one before I did! Do you want me to release it?”

“I got it,” Snufkin grinned as he pinched the line between his fingers, holding the fish up. Gently, he let it lay in one paw and he removed it from the hook as softly as he could. Before the creature could flop from his grasp, he clasped his paws around it and slowly lowered them to the river. Once his paws were completely submerged up to his wrist, he opened them, watching as the fish quickly disappeared into the flowing stream. “Bye, fishy!”

The Joxter warmly chuckled to himself at his son’s cuteness. Every day, he felt truly blessed to have ended up with such a sweet child. He wondered if he’d always be this sweet and polite as he grew up.

The father and son continued to fish with small occasional chatter but for the most part they only shared comfortable silence, the sound of the rushing river being the only thing filling their ears, and the warm buzzing of midsummer. 

They continued on like this for a little bit until they had both caught a fair share of fish, both releasing every catch into the river. The Joxter began packing his bag, giving his son a gaze with a wordless question on whether he was ready to head back. The kit nodded, understanding. Together, the two came back the same way they came, arriving back at the house. They could see lights on from in the windows, signaling the rest of the family must be home.

Upon entering the house, they were immediately greeted by the rest of the Mymble family. They must have just arrived not too long ago. The little Mymble children were sitting around and playing calmly, not rowdy at all—they must be worn out from their trip today and spent all their energy there. They had several baskets full of raspberries.

“Hello, darling,” Mymblemamma approached her lover, leaning down to give him a kiss on his head. The Joxter leaned up into the peck. “Where have you been?”

“Fishing.”

“Oh! Did you bring anything back?”

“No, you know how it is,” the Joxter mused humorously as he gestured towards his son, sharing a laugh with the Mymble mother. Snufkin only grinned up at them with a giggle.

“Yes, yes, of course. Oh—I must ask, because I can only assume you were the one who did it…What is that in the kitchen?”

Before the Joxter could answer, Snufkin piped up. “We tried to make strawberry tarts, Mamma!”

“Oh, my, what happened?”

“I don’t know how to do the measurements,” the Joxter offered simply with a chuckle, plopping down on the couch lazily. “I either used too much ingredients or too little.”

“Hmm, I believe you’ve used too much, but that is alright,” the Mymble mother hummed. “I’m going to go make raspberry jam. Would you like to help, Snufkin?”

With an excited nod, the kit ran off to join his mother and other siblings in helping her wash the raspberries to prepare for making jam. They gathered the raspberries they would turn into jam and put the rest away, storing it in the fridge. The siblings helped their mother fill jars of the fruity paste. When they were finished, Mymblemamma began fixing dinner and allowed her children who asked to eat some of the jam while she worked. When she was finished making the dinner, soup, he prepared bowls for her and her children. She had an extra bowl, empty, yet to be filled. She left the kitchen and stood in the doorway, looking at her lover who was still resting on the couch, but not asleep.

“Joxter, will you be joining us for dinner? Or…”

“I think it’s time for me to go, love,” the Joxter spoke after a moment of silence, his voice apologetic. Mymblemamma only nodded with a smile, understanding.

“Come say goodbye to the children, won’t you?”

The Joxter got to his feet and padded into the kitchen, looking at his children who were seated around the table, enjoying their meal. They looked up at him when he entered, immediately knowing what was going on. The Mumrik father went around the table, softly wishing his goodbyes to each stepchild as he gently kissed them on top of the head and allowed each child to have their small moment with him, returning embraces and giving him their own kisses on his cheeks. 

“Please be safe, Pappa,” Mymble Jr. smiled up at her stepfather when it came her turn and the two shared a hug for a moment. The Joxter rubbed her back before gently departing with a small kiss to her head.

“I will. Don’t worry, Junior.” The Joxter turned to Little My, who was peering at him with the usual mischief she always had. 

“Don’t be a stranger,” Little My huffed fondly as the Joxter leaned down to hug her and the tiny Mymble wrapped her arms around him, a little rough. She squeezed him in her embrace until she let go and the Joxter pulled away with a kiss to her head as well. “Come back soon!”

“You can count on that, I promise,” the Joxter gave his stepchild a toothy grin. 

Finally, he saved the Mumrik kit for last as his blue eyes met with a warm brown stare, the soft eyes looking back at him the equivalent of honey. He kept Snufkin for last, knowing the kit would likely have a meltdown which would delay his departure. He was surprised, however, when the kit only returned his gaze with a soft smile. He didn’t look upset at all.

A little confused, the Joxter knelt down, his eyes level with the child. He pulled Snufkin into a hug and the boy returned the embrace, wrapping his arms around his father’s neck. Snufkin could read Joxter’s confusion and the kit whispered, “I’m okay, Pappa. I’ll miss you. Be safe, please.”

The Joxter smiled in his embrace and nodded silently, pulling away. He looked at his child for a moment longer and true to his word, the kit really was fine—not a single tear or sniffle. The Joxter’s smile widened and he leaned over again, giving the Mumrik child a kiss on his forehead before he began to dig through his pocket. He pulled out his harmonica and the silver metal glinted in the light. Snufkin’s eyes widened at the sight of it and he looked up at his father.

“Pappa…”

“It’s okay, Snufkin. I want you to have it,” the Joxter smiled, noticing the kit’s hesitance. He handed it over and the kit took it in gentle paws. Snufkin’s face beamed as he looked down at it, holding it, the instrument feeling smooth in his paws. It was his now—it belonged to him. “It’s just something to help you feel better while I’m gone.”

“Oh, thank you, Pappa!”

“Practice it while I’m gone, won’t you? Make more of those sweet songs as well. As soon as I’m back, you can play them all for me, I promise.” With that, the Joxter stood up, ruffling his son’s hair before turning away.

“Goodbye, dear,” Mymblemamma hummed when the Joxter padded up to her, pulling him into a tight hug of her own. He melted in her embrace, resting the side of his head on her chest as he returned the hug. “Don’t get into trouble. We’ll be waiting for you the day you come back.”

The Joxter nodded and the two shared a kiss. Once it was finished, the Joxter said a final goodbye to everyone and he was out the door, his bag on his shoulder. By the time he had left, the kids had finished their dinner and they ran to the window in the living room, watching the Mumrik’s slim figure disappear into the wilderness up ahead until they could no longer see him. 

Snufkin had his paws pressed up against the window as he looked out. Soon, he would join his Pappa out there and they would be together on their own journey. The kit had a small smile on his face, unknown to everyone else.

When Mymblemamma finished washing her kid’s dishes, she announced it was time for everyone to go to bed. The kids all ran off to their room, and Snufkin ran down the hallway. He stopped at the sound of his name being called by his mother.

“Snufkin, are you sleeping in your room tonight?” Mymblemamma asked him curiously, standing in the hallway.

“No, Mamma, I’m going to sleep with Mymble. Is that okay?”

“Of course, dear. You can sleep wherever you want. Make sure your sister is okay with it.”

“Okay, Mamma!” Snufkin continued again on padding feet. First, he slipped into his room that he shared with the rest of the little Mymbles and Little My and he grabbed his hat that his father had given to him when he was born. As quietly as he came, he slipped out, running to his oldest sister’s door. He didn’t knock before he slipped inside, cracking the door and standing in the doorway. Mymble Jr. had just finished getting ready for bed and she stood in a gown, observing herself in a mirror as she let down her hair. It fell from the topknot into long, orange locks that came below her shoulders and reached her upper back. She saw Snufkin in the doorway through the mirror so she turned to him curiously.

“Snufkin?” she prompted, her head tilted to the side as she brushed through her hair to straighten it.

“Big sister, can I sleep with you tonight?” Snufkin asked softly, entering the room fully when Mymble Jr. gestured at him with a small wave of her hand. He shut the door behind him.

“Of course,” she smiled, putting away her brush on her desk and hopping on her bed and getting underneath the covers. One side of the bed was against the wall so she laid on that side, her back touching the wall as she was propped up on her side on her elbow. Snufkin crawled in beside her, getting underneath the covers up to his neck, still holding his hat above his stomach. The Mymble looked down at her baby brother curiously, turned to face him. “Is something wrong?”

Snufkin didn’t answer verbally, only shook his head. On the inside, he was grinning at the fact that he was able to put up this façade.

Mymble Jr. wasn’t convinced by his answer and softly petted through his hair once before she turned to lay on her back. “Pappa will come back as soon as he can, okay?”

Snufkin nodded and the two siblings closed their eyes. Snufkin forced himself to stay awake, noticing the exact moment that his oldest sister fell asleep, noticing the change in the rhythm of her breathing as it became softer and more gentle while she slept. Snufkin waited a while and several minutes passed before he finally decided it was safe to lift his head, looking at his sister. He got up on his knees, scooting forward slowly and giving her a small kiss on her head, knowing it’d be the last one until his father came back with him. He wished he could give his other siblings and his mother a parting kiss as well, but he decided against it, figuring it’d be too risky. Quietly, Snufkin slipped out of the bed and tip-toed through the room, leaving the room silently as he opened the door and gently clicked it shut behind him.

Snufkin tip-toed through the hallway, hat in his paw and harmonica in his dress’s pocket as he walked. He slipped on some of his boots that sat by the doorway and he quietly opened the door and slipped outside, the sounds of crickets filling his ears and fireflies all around him. He shut the door behind him and hurried off, putting his hat on his head. The hat was still much too big for him—it rested on his head and covered his eyes half-way but he could still see partially. He had to hold it up a little to be able to see sometimes because sometimes it would fall further down on his head, covering his face completely. He knew eventually, he would grow into the hat, and then he would be just like his father, except his was red and Snufkin’s was green.

As he wondered through the forest, he tried to think about where his father would have gone. It had been at least an hour ever since the Joxter first left, so it shouldn’t be too hard to find him. Perhaps he stopped to rest somewhere in the trees for the night.

“Pappa!” Snufkin shouted, his voice echoing slightly. The answer he received was still just the crickets of the night. “Pappa!” The kit continued to wander along, unknowingly heading into unfamiliar parts of the forest. He continued along until he finally stopped, realizing he had trailed off from the parts of the woods that he knew. A little frantic, the kit tried to retrace his steps, but to no luck—he only went deeper and deeper into the woods, the land becoming more unfamiliar with each step he took and more frightening. Snufkin’s blood ran cold and the feeling of icy fear coursed through his body when he came to a realization.

He was lost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Halfway through this story, I hadn’t saved my document so I lost the whole thing when my computer crashed x_x; But you know what they say, the second time is usually better than the first!
> 
> This story is coming to a close very soon! I have a few more chapters planned—perhaps three or four? We’ll see!
> 
> The next chapter will take place immediately after this one!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As much as he keeps trying, Snufkin just can’t find his way back home nor can he find his father. Seeking shelter, he comes across a park—belonging to the same keeper he had come across about a month ago. To his luck, the Hemulen was rather kind to him after learning of the kit’s unfortunate circumstances. Still, nothing was enough to comfort the kit while Snufkin was unsure of when the next time he’d see his parents was.

It seemed like the forest never ended. It was all unfamiliar land that went on forever with no hint of any familiar spots around. The young kit continued to wonder through, hot tears pricking the corner of his eyes. How had he messed up so fast? He had been so confident he’d catch up to his father, and yet…

“Pappa,” the kit muttered weakly in a cry, tears streaming from his face. “Mamma…Pappa…” He was exhausted, but he was too scared to stop. Maybe there was still a chance he could catch up to his father, or maybe he’d come across the path back to his house.

Except, there wasn’t a chance. He knew deep inside that there wasn’t. 

The kit continued to cry as he walked, sniffling madly and wiping away at his eyes with his long sleeves. Eventually, he would have to stop so he could try to rest. He didn’t have any food, though. He had made sure not to bring a bag because he didn’t want to stay at the house longer than he needed to, and it would make his escape quicker.

How foolish he had been.

Reluctantly, the kit began to try and search for good places to take shelter in, trying to bite back his tears. Just barely in the night sky, he could see dark clouds, signaling it would surely rain soon, and possibly even storm. He checked under any bush he came across, but none seemed comfortable. Finally, he came across a large hole in the bottom of a tree, short enough for him to climb into and it looked rather roomy on the inside. He couldn’t exactly tell with the lighting of the night sky, but there seemed to be an abandoned nest in there as well. He padded forward and climbed inside. He was about to settle down and curl up when his paw landed on something soft and squishy and he heard a startled squeak.

Okay, so the nest wasn’t abandoned after all.

Wide eyes opened up and met his own, the eyes belonging to a creature that was rather large, but still smaller than him. The creature didn’t look dangerous at all, but he could tell that the expression it had was not at all a very pleased one.

“Hey, what are you doing in my nest?” the creature huffed, the rough fur—was it even fur?—bristling cautiously. The creature seemed to have a child when he noticed another pair of eyes look up curiously, wandering what the commotion was between its father and the Mumrik kit.

“S-Sorry, s-sir,” Snufkin hiccuped, not wanting to start a fight. He sniffled, trying to back up but he wasn’t watching where he was going and only backed himself against a wall in the hole of a tree. Tears continued to sting his eyes.

The creature seemed to soften at the sight of the kit. He wondered if it was because the father creature had a child of his own and perhaps it was just parenting instincts. “You’re awfully young to be out at this time. I’m sorry for yelling—I thought you were much older and trying to attack us. What brings you out here?”

Snufkin hiccuped again and wiped at his eyes. When he brought his arms away he looked into the eyes of the genuinely worried woodland creature. “I lost my Pappa, s-sir…”

“I see…” the creature’s voice was soft, filled with sympathy. “Perhaps I’ve seen him…How’d you lose him? What does he look like?”

“L-Like me,” Snufkin began, willing his voice to stop stuttering and being so shaky while he spoke. “Except he has a red hat…And his fur is darker than mine…And he has blue eyes…He always goes away on adventures for some reason, I left home to try and follow him, and…” Snufkin’s voice broke up into a choked sob as he began to cry again, his little heart broke into tiny pieces.

The father creature crawled forward on all four legs, sitting down to look up at the kit. “I’m sorry, little one, I haven’t seen him…” he spoke softly, his words sincere and heartfelt. “What about your mother?”

“She’s at home…I don’t know where she is…”

“Are you a Mumrik?”

“Yes, sir…”

“So your mother must be as well. What does she look like?”

“A-Ah, I’m sorry, sir, I meant I’m a Mumrik but only half…I’m half Mymble too…Mamma is a Mymble. She’s very tall and has red hair and she keeps it tied up.”

“I’m afraid I haven’t seen her either,” the father creature sighed softly. “I’m sorry, kit. I hope you find them soon. Do you have a place to stay?”

“No, sir…” 

The creature frowned. “I’d offer you could stay at mine, but, I’m afraid I don’t have any room…I know somewhere where you can probably find some empty homes like this, though.”

“That would be very nice, sir.”

The creature padded out of his home while the child stayed behind. Snufkin followed close behind him. With a slim tail, the father pointed off in a direction through the woods. “Down there, you should be able to find places similar to this, and hopefully you’ll come across one soon. As much as I hate to send you off like this, well…I’m sorry. Good luck, kit.”

“Thank you, sir,” Snufkin nodded to him, genuinely grateful.

“Oh! If you’re hungry, there should be some fruit trees and berry bushes around there as well.”

Snufkin didn’t say anything more as he watched the father leave back to his nest. He was about to turn and leave when he heard a higher pitched voice call after him. “Wait! Hold on!”

Snufkin looked over to see the little child creature run up to him with wide curious eyes. “I’ve never met a Mumrik before! Or a Mymble for that matter! So I get to meet both!”

Snufkin was not here for small talk, nor did he want it. The child seemed to be no older than him so he decided to converse with him. “And what are you?”

“A Creep!” the child beamed at him, tail and behind wagging. “I know, it’s a silly name, but I think it’s neat.”

Despite the kit’s tears, he couldn’t help but chuckle lightly at the Creep cub’s strange enthusiasm. “It’s not too silly.”

The Creep child smiled at him. “Wanna be friends?”

Snufkin smiled back. For as much as he had been scared of being lost, he had forgotten how nice some creatures around here were. In this moment, his anxiety seemed to ease. “Okay. I don’t know when we would see each other, though…I have to leave soon and I live very far.”

“Oh,” the child’s voice was slightly disappointed but he immediately went straight back to the enthusiasm. “That’s okay! Maybe we’ll see each other again one day?”

“I’d like that,” Snufkin smiled. He felt oddly proud—had he made his first friend?

“I guess you should get going now,” the Creep child mused aloud. “I should, too, before my Daddy says something. He said for me to only be out here for a moment.”

“Yeah,” Snufkin sighed, his happiness fading away and forming back into the sadness and anxiety.

“Good luck finding your Daddy!”

“Thank you,” Snufkin said plainly. The two children smiled at each other before they turned in separate directions, one heading back to their home and the other heading out further into the wilderness. Snufkin walked along in the direction the father Creep had pointed out earlier. As he walked, he kept a close eye out for any possibilities of shelter. He couldn’t find anything. He was about to give up and settle underneath a tree when he spotted something up ahead. Immediately, he knew what it was. He hurried up ahead and stopped behind a bush.

In front of him was the gated park, the same park that his father had raided for fruit about a month earlier. Inside the park was a small cabin with lights on, most likely where the Hemulen who guarded it slept. Fretful, the kit decided to slip inside the park. He wouldn’t be too long—the only thing that was on his mind was picking his fruit to take with him on his journey. The thought made his stomach growl. At least he ate dinner, but he was still rather hungry.

The kit climbed over the fence and landed on the other side. He quickly hurried across the park and to the trees, looking up one. He had never really climbed one before, but he supposed now was a good time to learn. Snufkin unsheathed his claws and dug them into the bark, making his way upwards. He was a little clumsy with his climbing. Eventually, he made it onto a low branch. He carefully reached for a peach and grabbed it, snapping it from its stem. He held it in his arms and reached for another, doing the same thing. When he snapped the third, he lost his balance and fell from the branch, landing in the brush below. He wasn’t seriously hurt, only slightly sore from the impact of the fall, but at least he had landed in a bush that broke his fall a little. The loud rustle of the bush, however, was a bad thing, considering how it brought attention to the Hemulen who was now opening the door to his cabin and walking out.

“Who’s there?” the Hemulen shouted and followed after there was a click, and a sudden light. The Park Keeper had a flashlight with him. He shined the object near the bush and Snufkin could see the light running through the leaves of the bush, missing him. He tried to back further in the bush but stopped when his movement only made the bush rustle more. His body felt cold—there was no escaping this one.

“I know you’re in there,” the Hemulen huffed, his flashlight still pointed at the bush. “Come out now or there will be serious consequences!”

Despite the Park Keeper’s threats, Snufkin stayed completely still. He heard trudging footsteps head towards him and immediately after, the Hemulen dug his paws inside the brush, searching around for what was inside. Snufkin let out a yelp when his paw came in contact with the kit. He tried to run but before he could, the Hemulen had grabbed him by the nape of his clothes and lifted him up, inspecting him. Snufkin’s clothes were wet and sticky with fruit—he had landed on top of his peaches and squashed the fruit’s meat underneath his weight.

“You again, trying to steal my fruit!” the Hemulen’s face contorted into anger when he realized who it was. Immediately after, though, it twisted into slight confusion. He had expected the grown Mumrik. Not the child.

“I-I’m sorry, sir! Please, don’t hurt me, I’ll leave and I won’t come back, I promise, I was just…” His voice trailed off and he shut his lips tight, not wanting to make his situation any more worse than it already was. He hiccuped, bringing his teary eyes away from the Hemulen’s. He let out a choked sob and soon afterwards he began to cry. 

The Park Keeper would be lying if he said he had expected to be put in this situation. No, this wasn’t expected at all. He had only thought he’d come across a small creature that had wondered into his park. Not…a crying child. Wordlessly, still grasping the kit by the nape of his clothes, he carried him off towards his cabin. Much to his dismay, the child began to scream, and he meant _scream_. The way Snufkin’s voice screeched without any concern for his little vocal chords was oddly impressive.

“No!” the kitten wailed in a loud sob, kicking in the Hemulen’s grasp as he powered through it and continued to carry him. “No, please, I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Please don’t hurt me, please! Please…” His voice broke off into more sobs and shrieks. He thought back to how a different Park Keeper had gotten his father locked up and he was filled with fear.

The Hemulen entered his cabin and shut the door closed behind him. “Calm down,” he spoke finally, giving the kit a pointed look. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

Snufkin’s screams had stopped but he only continued to cry and sob. His voice was weak and it cracked, his vocal chords strained from screaming without limit like that. The Hemulen set him down on a table that stood in the middle of what looked like a kitchen and a dining room combined. As soon as the Keeper’s paw was off of him, Snufkin cowered away, his entire body trembling.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” the Hemulen repeated, but gave the kit his space regardless.

“T-Then why am I here…You’re going to lock me up, just like one did to my Pappa!”

“Kid, I don’t even run a jail,” the Hemulen sighed. “Look, I’m just going to say this—you’re a surprise. In fact, a very big surprise. When I first picked you up, I had expected the older one who was with you a while ago. Not…you.”

“That was my Pappa,” the kit mumbled weakly, wiping his eyes.

“I just want to know why you’re here,” the Hemulen crossed his arms. “I know kids like you should be well into their sleep right now around this time. Not trespassing and trying to steal from my park.”

Before Snufkin could say anything, his stomach growled as an answer. The Hemulen sighed.

“You have a father, do you not have a mother? Why are you not at home?”

“I’m lost, sir…” Snufkin spoke softly, his voice quivering. He explained to the Hemulen his situation—he left home to follow after his father, only to lose his way. He lost his way both to his father and back home.

The Hemulen rubbed his temples, slightly frustrated. He usually wasn’t this soft on trespassers. He especially would not have been if it had been the elder Mumrik. But for crying out loud, the kit had screeched when he picked him up. And it was the same kit who had been along with the older Mumrik when he stole from the park. What was the Hemulen supposed to do, though? He just couldn’t bring himself to be harsh on Snufkin, even if he was trying to steal.

The Park Keeper inspected Snufkin’s sticky clothes. The juices of the fruit had clung onto his dress and it made for a very sticky mess. Not only did the sticky clothing indicate that he had obviously fallen, it showed that his little ‘heist’ had not been a success. Wordlessly, the Hemulen got down on one knee. He grasped Snufkin’s arm and began to inspect it, then did it with the other one. The kit tried to jerk away from his hold.

“Relax,” the Park Keeper frowned, hissing lightly when one of Snufkin’s claws found its way to his skin and dug in. “I’m just checking you. By the Booble, you fell from a tree. Foolish child…”

Snufkin stopped moving but only began to tremble in his hold while the Hemulen continued to inspect his limbs for any signs of broken or cracked bones. There was nothing, no bruises, only light scrapes from where the kit’s skin had brushed along the bush when he fell in it. When the Hemulen pulled away from him, the kit looked up at him with a teary, pleading gaze.

“I’m not going to get locked up, am I?” Snufkin sniffled, his eyes wide and wet. He only became more fearful when the Hemulen got up from his kneeling stance, standing straight. “I’m sorry, I really am! I’ll do anything else, I don’t want to be locked up, please!”

“I already told you, I don’t run a jail…” the Hemulen groaned, but his voice was drowned out by Snufkin’s wails. He didn’t want to punish the child, he truly didn’t. The fact that the kit was alone, scared, hungry, and the way he screamed earlier was enough to strike a chord somewhere within the Hemulen. However, he didn’t know how to convince the kit that he wasn’t getting punished. It just wasn’t getting through to Snufkin’s head at all. If he didn’t punish him in some way, the kit would constantly be dead-set convinced he was about to go to jail. The Hemulen would have to make the punishment light—barely even one at all. Anything to help the Mumrik kit feel like he was making up for trespassing.

Snufkin looked up at the Hemulen when he suddenly pointed at a corner of the room. “Go sit over there,” the Hemulen spoke plainly. Snufkin padded over and sat down in an empty corner, looking at the Park Keeper, who was staring back at him with crossed arms. “Face the corner.” Snufkin did as he was instructed and turned around, sitting with his legs crossed as he stared at the wall. 

“Okay, now stay there.” Satisfied, the Hemulen trudged over to a desk and took a seat at it, returning to what he had previously been doing before the kit had ended up in his park. Snufkin snuck a few peeks over in the Hemulen’s direction. The Park Keeper didn’t say anything about it, making Snufkin think he was being sneaky. The Keeper knew that the kit was looking, he just didn’t care.

“How long do I stay here for?” Snufkin spoke, his voice quivering slightly. At least his crying and screaming had stopped. When he spoke, he turned back to face the wall.

The Hemulen looked down at his wristwatch. “Ten minutes.”

Snufkin fell silent again and only stared at the wall. Idly, with a finger, he traced along the pattern of the wood in the cabin. Five minutes had passed and he was beginning to get restless.

“Has it been ten minutes yet?” Snufkin whined, his whole body feeling jittery.

The Hemulen sighed. “You scream about not wanting to be locked up, yet complain about something as small as this? Ungrateful, naughty child…You can come out now.”

Snufkin was quick to his feet. Hesitantly, he wandered over towards the Park Keeper, peering up at him. He had stacks of wooden blocks and buckets of paint on his desk. “What’re you doing?”

“Making new signs for my park. Hopefully to better keep out little things like you.” Despite the Hemulen’s words and despite the creature’s usual strict personality, there was a slight bit of humor laced behind his tone.

“If you’re hungry, there’s fruit I’ve already picked earlier today in the kitchen. All you have to do is ask, not steal,” the Park Keeper told him, noticing the kit looking around and rubbing his rumbling stomach lightly.

“Thank you, sir…” Snufkin spoke softly as he padded into the kitchen. He found a bucket of peaches and he took one out, biting into it. He grabbed a few more that he planned to eat and wandered back over to the Park Keeper, feeling oddly fine with the creature’s presence because of how unusually kind he was being. The kit was still rather cautious, though.

The kit continued to eat the first peach he had picked up, the juices messily running down his chin and dripping into his lap. When he finished with the meat of the fruit, he began gnawing on the pit, trying to break it open. Noticing what the kit was doing, the Hemulen quickly grabbed it away from him before he managed to crack the pit and get to the seed inside.

“What are you doing, kid? Has nobody taught you how to eat a peach?” the Hemulen asked, slightly exasperated. He held the pit tightly in his grasp in front of Snufkin.

“Was I doing it wrong?” Snufkin asked with a tilted head, reaching out for the pit again. The Hemulen quickly brought it away out of his reach.

“Ah ah ah. Wrong? You don’t eat the big brown thing in it!”

“Why not?”

“There’s a seed inside—not only would it be very nasty, but it can hurt you.”

Snufkin watched as the Hemulen threw the peach pit away in a trashcan. The kit only took another peach he had brought over and began eating it. This time, when he finished with the juices and the meat of the fruit, he rolled the pit around in his paws, inspecting it. He smashed the pit against the floor and it broke open, revealing the seed inside.

“Kid, what did I say?” the Park Keeper groaned, slightly startled by the impact of the pit hitting the floor. 

“I’m not gonna eat it,” Snufkin assured, not taking his eyes off the round seed as he picked it up. “Just looking.”

With a sigh, the Hemulen returned to his work but kept a close eye on the kit, glancing down at him every now and then to make sure he didn’t do anything stupid. True to his word, the kit only continued to look at it, eventually setting it aside when he lost interest and he began feeding on his next peach. Each time he finished a peach, he cracked open the pit, putting the seed that came out with the others. He had gone through three more peaches before the kit was finally finished. He pocketed all of the seeds.

“My tummy hurts…” Snufkin whined, his tail lashing.

“You just ate a bunch of fruit,” the Hemulen responded matter-of-factly. “You can go rest on the couch.”

Snufkin nodded and got up, lying down on the couch as instructed. The discomfort eased lightly. From his position where he was lying, he peered at the Hemulen. His back was turned to the kit as he sat at his desk, still working on his signs.

“Sir, are you mad at me?” Snufkin asked suddenly, the question entirely unprompted.

“No. It’d be different if you were grown. Though, I am a little annoyed, yes—you could have come to my door and I would have forgiven you for trespassing given your circumstances.”

“I’m sorry, sir…” Snufkin’s voice trailed off, his mind caught on another question. “Have you seen my Pappa?”

“Not since the last time he ended up here a month ago.”

Snufkin sighed. In that moment, everything felt helpless. Although he had been here before, he didn’t know the way home. That month they had ran through here, they had been in such a hurry to leave that Snufkin couldn’t even bother with trying to remember the path. At least the Hemulen was being somewhat nice to him.

Snufkin tried to make conversation but the Hemulen’s responses were very dismissive and idle while he continued to work on his signs. That left Snufkin to his own thoughts. The kit could feel tears begin to sting his eyes again. He began to lightly weep again, trying to keep his voice muffled. Despite his best efforts, the Hemulen heard him. Before either could say or do anything, a loud boom crackled through the sky, rumbling through the cabin and shaking it. Outside, Snufkin saw a crack of lightning streak through the sky. The kit yelped and whimpered from being startled.

The Park Keeper had decided that his work was done for the night and he padded over to the couch, taking a seat. He wasn’t at all experienced in the concept of comforting a child during a thunderstorm—much less comforting a child at all. 

“It’s only thunder and lightning,” the Hemulen tried. “You’re very young. Is this your first storm?”

“No…But, I always had my Mamma…” The kit yelped at the sound of more thunder.

The Park Keeper was unsure of what to say. He didn’t say anything when the kit suddenly huddled close to him, seeking protection from anything that could provide. The kit only continued to cry, scared. 

“It’ll be over soon,” the Hemulen continued to try and be comforting. He supposed it helped a little, for the kit had become less and less frightful as the storm passed over. All that was left was light rain that dribbled along the cabin’s log roof. The kit’s anxiety had calmed, leaving him very exhausted and worn out from his travels and all the crying he had done today.

“What are your plans, kid?” the Hemulen asked after a bit of silence that spread between them. Snufkin held the silence a moment longer, lost in thought. He hadn’t really thought about it.

“I don’t know… I need to find my Pappa.”

“I’m sure you’ll find him eventually. If not, you can always find the way back home.”

Snufkin nodded along to his words. “I miss my Mamma and Pappa a lot,” he said after more silence, letting out a soft sigh. The Park Keeper didn’t respond to that but he perked up when the kit suddenly yawned.

“If you’re tired, you can rest here,” the Hemulen told him. “I’d offer you some clean clothes, but I don’t have any in your size for such a small child as you are.”

The Mumrik settled back down, laying on the couch, silent and unhappy. The Park Keeper brought him a blanket and gave him a wordless good night, heading to his own bedroom. Snufkin was left alone in a stranger’s house, left to his thoughts as his mind raced on what he’d do next. He didn’t want to stay here in the Hemulen’s house for long. Eventually, he needed to leave. He didn’t know why, but he just felt the urge to run. Much to his dismay, he began to cry again, missing the comfort of his mother and father. Soon enough, he fell asleep, the gentle sound of the calm rain being the only thing soothing him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, I somehow managed to type up a whole new chapter in less than 12 hours from when I finished the last one. Only a few more chapters to go!
> 
> Thank you for sticking around for this story! I’ve really enjoyed writing it. I have another big story planned—longer than this one. I’m also going to return back to my previous works that I haven’t finished yet and get them done :)


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life continues on with Snufkin and the Hemulen that's taking care of him. Snufkin finds his time with the Park Keeper to be pleasant as it is, however the family he belongs to is always on the back of his mind like a dark cloud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I'm so sorry for the late publish--I had this chapter started and then did not have the energy to write at all, but I think I'm back on my groove now! Hope you enjoy!

Snufkin awoke to the feeling of something wet against his cheeks. He had just awoken from a nightmare. He sat up quickly and moved out of bed, going to wake his mother so that he could receive comfort. He reached up with a sleeved arm and wiped his face, drying the wetness of his cheeks that had been fallen tears when he cried as he slept. He got out of bed, landing on his feet on a wooden floor.

Except, when he got out of bed…it wasn’t a bed at all. No, it was a couch.

He looked forward, his eyes squinted and trying to adjust to the lighting. Up ahead, he saw a fairly large figure in the kitchen, the sound of running water filling his ears. Curiously, the kit padded towards the figure, looking up at it. “Mamma?”

The figure stopped whatever it was doing, almost like it was frozen. Then, it turned to look down at him. What Snufkin saw was a Hemulen looking at him, and it startled him so bad the kit wanted to screech. Instead, he painfully swallowed his fear, his tail dropping low and his eyes wide.

“Last time I checked, I wasn’t your mother, kid,” the Park Keeper said with slight amusement, returning to his work. He stopped again when he received no answer, turning to the kit. “You didn’t forget, did you?”

Snufkin felt awfully stupid. When he woke up from his nightmare, the thought hadn’t even crossed his mind of what took place the day before. How he ran away from home and ended up in a Hemulen’s park, which led him to this current moment. He had barely even noticed he wasn’t in his own home. Sheepishly, he lowered his head shamefully, stepping back slightly from the Hemulen. “Sorry, sir…”

“You did forget,” the Hemulen stated plainly, acknowledging his apology with a small hum. “I suppose it must have been a real surprise waking up to this. Breakfast is almost ready.”

Snufkin was grateful for the quick change in topic, his embarrassment and shame fading, now focused on food as his stomach rumbled. He tried to peer up at what the Hemulen was doing, but decided not to bother. He could wait, and he didn’t want to annoy the Hemulen.

He sat down on the kitchen floor, trying to keep out of his way. Snufkin thought back to his nightmare and the sudden reminder of it made him shudder. It brought tears to his eyes as he relived the most intense moments and he felt a tremble run through his body. Snufkin wished his Mamma was here right now, or his Pappa, or Mymble Jr., or even Little My. He knew all of them would comfort him. And yet…

His gaze trailed up the Hemulen. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to bother him just a little. 

Quietly, the kit gathered himself on his feet, sheepishly padding over towards the creature. Snufkin looked up towards the Hemulen and lifted a paw, tugging on the ends of the Hemulen’s dress. “Mister?”

The Hemulen stopped, peering down at the kitten. He didn’t say anything, only gave him a stare as if silently prompting Snufkin to continue.

“…I had a nightmare…” Snufkin’s voice was soft spoken and hesitant, as if he was unsure of his own words.

The Hemulen wasn’t sure what to say. “Okay,” he responded lamely, his voice awkward.

Snufkin tugged on the Park Keeper’s dress again, his expression slightly upset and mixed in with a tiny bit of frustration. “Mamma always talked with me about them and made me feel happy.”

“Kid, I don’t know what’s going through your brain, but I’m not your mother,” the Hemulen sighed, turning away from the kit. When he looked back, Snufkin’s eyes were glinting in the light with wetness, sad tears threatening to spill.

“Mamma’s not here…” Snufkin spoke finally, his voice sad and defeated. This made the Hemulen sigh again and he abandoned his work, giving in, kneeling down so he was eye level with the kit.

“Look, I’m not good with children. Especially kids in your situation. But I guess it must be scary for you, so I suppose you can talk to me.”

Snufkin wiped away at his eyes again, offering a small, shy smile. “Thank you, mister.” With a gentle paw, he took the Hemulen’s paw in his own and led him over to the couch that Snufkin had been sleeping on. The Keeper took a seat and Snufkin crawled up beside him, crossing his legs, peering up at the Park Keeper.

The Hemulen felt a little awkward. He didn’t know how to handle children, especially not a lost little thief who had tried to steal from him. He tried not to be soft on the kit but it was hard considering Snufkin’s sweet character and his politeness, as well as the situation the kit was in. The Park Keeper couldn’t help but be as soft as he could manage around the kit. Booble forbid he got attached. Shaking away his thoughts, the Hemulen looked at the kit curiously. “Okay. So…”

“I had a dream that,” Snufkin began but stopped, taking in a deep, nervous breath. “I had a dream that…Me and my Mamma and Pappa were walking. It was through a forest. They were both very happy…and I was too. It was just me and Mamma when Pappa went somewhere else, but he never came back. I heard his voice, far away, but I couldn’t see him.” The longer Snufkin spoke, the more his voice broke up as he began crying, tears spilling from his eyes as he recalled parts of his dream. “Mamma went to go look for him. She didn’t come back either. I could hear both of them, but…I tried looking for them, and I couldn’t find them. And…” 

Before he even realized it, the kit was sobbing hard. His voice broke up completely as he cried into his knees after pulling them up and hugging them to his chest. Some sobs came out as choked when he tried to hold them back, but the action only made him hiccup as a result. 

The Hemulen was silent the entire time, looking down at the weeping kit, feeling an unusual pang of sympathy. Awkwardly, he reached over and placed a paw on the kit’s back, patting it and rubbing it, trying to be comforting. He knew the kit was frightened, sure, but he didn’t know the exact extent of the fear. He imagined it must be awful though to be having nightmares like this.

“It was just a dream,” the Park Keeper spoke finally, trying to keep his voice soft. “None of that was real. You’ll find your parents one day.”

Snufkin sniffled hard, raising his head. He lowered his knees, crossing his legs again. His head hung low sadly. “Yeah…”

The Hemulen rose to his feet, stepping away wordlessly, giving the kit one more rub on his back before he turned away fully and went back to the kitchen. Snufkin stayed on the couch for a moment longer before he got down as well, following after him silently.

“Maybe some food will help you feel better,” the Hemulen said once he had sensed the kit right beside him. “Are you hungry?”

As if on cue, Snufkin’s stomach growled. He wasn’t exactly sure if the Hemulen had heard it, so he responded anyways. “Yes, sir.”

The Hemulen stayed silent and only nodded as he continued to work. He turned off the sink that had been running after washing some dishes that had previously been dirty so he could go ahead and get it out of the way. He dried them and set them on the counter for later use once the food was finished. Snufkin could hear the workings of different machines as the Hemulen prepared food.

Wordlessly, the Hemulen pointed in the direction of the table and Snufkin walked towards it, climbing up a chair. He stood up on his feet so that he could easily be above the top of the table. The Hemulen didn’t have any books to set on the chairs like him and the other little kids had back at home. Snufkin’s mouth watered when the Hemulen walked over with plates, setting one down in front of him.

On their plates was two pieces of toast with a sort of clear-ish, pink-ish orange paste spread on top. Not even bothering to question what it was, the kit hurriedly took a piece of toast and bit into it, the bread crunching underneath his baby fangs. The paste was fresh peach jam.

The Hemulen hadn’t started eating yet, his eyes on the kit as he watched him eat like he hadn’t eaten in years, despite his large meal of just peaches last night.

“What’s your name, kid?” the Hemulen asked suddenly, realizing he didn’t know. Snufkin stopped eating, his brown eyes moving upwards to meet the Hemulen’s.

“…Snufkin, sir.”

“Snufkin? Odd name,” the Hemulen hummed in response.

“What’s yours?”

“Don’t worry about it, it’s not important.” Snufkin frowned at the Hemulen’s response but didn’t question it further, going back to his eating. The Hemulen began to eat as well.

The two ate together in silence after that. Even if they were speaking, Snufkin wasn’t entirely sure of what to say. The situation was all just too awkward and it left the Mumrik kit confused on where to go next. He silently wondered if the Hemulen was even okay with him sticking around to begin with. As he ate, he peered at the Keeper with wide, curious eyes, trying to read him. The Hemulen didn’t seem to notice—or if he did, he didn’t acknowledge it or meet the kit’s eyes—as he continued to eat with an expression as calm as could be. It gave away little to nothing that the kit could read other than according to what the Hemulen gave off, he appeared to be just fine. Snufkin slumped back in his chair with a sigh.

That seemed to catch the Hemulen’s attention as he brought his gaze up, looking over at the kit, swallowing the bite he had been chewing. “Something wrong?”

Snufkin chewed his lip, debating in his head on whether to answer or not. He sat up a little and rested one elbow on the table, propping his head up in the palm of his paw. He has a very gloom look on his face, one that was hesitant and gave off quite a bit of anxiety. “Nothing, just—thinking…”

The Hemulen took another bite. “Nothing? Kid, I could read you from a mile away.”

Snufkin’s face heated up slightly. He brought his gaze lower while the Hemulen curiously stared him down. “I just—“ his voice quivered slightly as he willed himself to respond to the Keeper’s original question. “I’m sorry if I’m a bother, sir. I shouldn’t be here.”

Silence followed Snufkin’s words and the kit winced, lowering his head shamefully. The only sound that filled the room was the soft screech of the Hemulen’s chair as it scraped across the wood floor while he stood up from his seat after finishing his breakfast. Snufkin could hear the clatter as he set his empty plate in the sink to be washed later. He still didn’t look up as the Hemulen walked back around to the table, seeing the feet of the large creature stop at the chair where he had originally been sitting.

“Where else are you supposed to go?” was all the Hemulen said after a moment, voice strangely soft and calm. Snufkin weakly shrugged his shoulders in response, not offering anything verbally. What the Hemulen said eased Snufkin’s anxieties slightly. It seemed that the creature didn’t really have an issue with the kit being here, despite what Snufkin is to him—a lost and confused thief.

Or, maybe the Hemulen was only keeping him around because he felt as if he had to, not because he wanted to, and he actually was a burden within the creature’s presence. That idea made Snufkin fretful.

That didn’t seem to be the case, however, as the kit brought up his gaze to finally meet the Hemulen’s own. Their eyes met and they stared at each other, as if trying to read each other’s thoughts in that exact moment. The Hemulen broke the contact with a small nod of acknowledgement, bringing his eyes away from the kit and looking to the front door. Calmly, he spoke, “When you’re finished eating, you can come join me and help me pick more fruit if you’d like.” With that, the Hemulen was out the door, grabbing a basket along the way. Silence filled the room when the door clicked shut behind him.

Snufkin only stared towards the door, his chewing becoming slower as he thought. Maybe it would be a good thing to help the Hemulen. He was staying at his house after all—it was the least he could do to payback for his prolonged visitation. The kit began eating faster until he was swallowing his last bites. He scooted out of his chair, so quick to join the Hemulen outside that he had forgotten to take his dish to the sink.

The Mumrik kit quickly shut the door behind him when he left the cabin, eyes immediately landing on the Hemulen up on a ladder next to a tree, picking fruit from the branches. Snufkin hurried over, stopping at the foot of the ladder and gazing up at the large creature.

The Hemulen seemed to have sensed his presence as he acknowledged Snufkin with a look, or maybe he had heard the kit’s soft footsteps as he padded through the grass. “That was quick. Came to help?”

“Yes, sir,” Snufkin confirmed with a verbal answer as well as a nod. He unsheathed his claws and began climbing the tree in front of him, slightly clumsy.

“Snufkin!” the Hemulen protested with a frown, watching him. “Get down from there—I don’t need you falling again and possibly knocking yourself out!”

“It’s okay,” Snufkin tried to reassure as he reached the first branch. In a steady grip around the tree, he carefully reached forward and felt along the base of the branch, confirming that it was sturdy and could hold him. Once he was sure it was safe, he made his transition and climbed along the branch, appearing right next to the Hemulen’s head from where he stood on a ladder. “See? I got this! My Pappa does it all the time.”

The Hemulen huffed as he brought his gaze away, returning to picking. “I see. I suppose that’s what he was doing when he stole from me as well.”

Snufkin only giggled in response, reaching up a paw. He grasped a peach in his fingers and took it off the stem, handing it over to the Hemulen. When they grabbed the peaches, they snapped off quite easily. Snufkin twisted the delectable fruit in his paws as he continued to grab the ones that snapped from the branches easily, handing them off to the Hemulen to put in a basket. The feeling of the fruit’s fuzz on his paws tickled his pads and his mouth watered just at the thought of the fruit’s juicy meat beneath the skin. Though, these new ones were still rather hard and needed just a little more time to ripen and turn soft. At least they already had some that had grown soft and sweet. 

The two continued to pick at the little tree until they had grabbed all the ones that were ready to be picked off of their tree. Snufkin helped carry any peaches that didn’t fit in the basket and the two headed back into the cabin.

“We’ll leave these on the counter for now,” the Hemulen hummed, placing the basket down in the kitchen. He knelt down to take the peaches from Snufkin that he had been holding, carefully stacking them on top of the ones in the basket. He held his paws around the pile cautiously, in case the excess ones toppled over. Seeing as they wouldn’t, he sighed softly and brought his arms down. “There. They should be ready to eat within a few days.”

“Why not now?” Snufkin asked with genuine curiosity, his large brown eyes peering up at the basket.

“They’re unripe right now—they’re hard, and rather unpleasant to eat. A soft peach is nice, yes?” The Hemulen’s question earned a nod out of the little kit, so he continued, “Then we must wait. It will only be a few days, and besides, we already have nice, fresh ones to eat.”

Snufkin nodded again in understanding. He hopped on the counter and grabbed one of the older peaches, biting into it. It was very soft and still very sweet. The juices clung to his cheeks and made his face rather messy. He cupped a paw underneath his chin while he ate, not wanting to get juice on his clothes. He supposed it didn’t entirely matter—they were already rather messy from when he last ate a bunch of peaches yesterday, and when he had fallen on top of ones he gathered. 

The Hemulen looked at him curiously while he ate, his eyes running up and down the child’s form, observing his clothes. “I suppose I should wash your clothes,” the Hemulen hummed. “Do you have underclothes?”

“Yes, sir,” Snufkin confirmed gently, looking at him with a question lit in his eyes.

“Hmm. Alright. When you’re finished with that you can remove your outer clothes and leave your undershirt and stuff on. I’ll wash your clothes for you.”

Snufkin watched as the Hemulen walked away outside, assuming he was going off to get ready to wash his clothes manually. Snufkin hurried with his eating, bringing his paw down and not caring now if the juices dripped on his clothes. He was just ready to get out of this sticky clothing. Once he was finished, he threw away the pit and the excess meat that clung around the brown mass. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and hurriedly shed himself of his dress. He was left in just a pair of vertical striped undershorts and a white sleeveless undershirt. With his green dress in his paws, the kit carefully removed his harmonica from the pocket and put it in one of the pockets in his shorts. He ran outside to meet the Hemulen, looking as he readied a bucket of water.

“Ah, done already?” the Hemulen looked up from his work, observing the kit. Snufkin’s little tail flicked as he nodded. “Good. Now, I’ll wash your clothes for you.”

Snufkin stepped forward and handed over his dress, washing as the Park Keeper dunked it in the soapy water. The Hemulen looked up once more to look at the kit, noting his curiosity. His gaze traveled downwards until his eyes caught attention of little white socks on the Mumrik’s feet. “Hey! Take those off—you’ll get them muddied and dirty out here. Those need washed too.”

Snufkin looked down, lifting one foot, noting the dusted bottoms of his socks that were darkly colored with dirt and soil. Silently, the kit took them off his feet, handing them over. The kit sat down afterwards across from the bucket, his hands in his lap as he intently watched the Hemulen work. 

“Why do you keep your land private?” the kit suddenly asked as the question slipped his mind and went out of his mouth almost as quick as the thought had popped into his head. It caught the attention of the Park Keeper and he looked up with slight surprise at the sudden question. He gave the kit a small look, one that was prompting him to explain further. Snufkin hesitated only slightly. “I mean…your land is so pretty…why block it off from the rest of the forest?”

When the kit finished, the Hemulen could sense the slight hesitant and he huffed a small, amused laugh. “Children. Always so curious,” he murmured, clearing his throat. “I like to keep things neat and clean. I like having control over a bit of land, no matter how big or small. I couldn’t possibly keep it clean if I left it open for little critters like you to run wild in it.”

Snufkin only nodded, not wanting to ask questions further. He didn’t agree with the Hemulen’s beliefs at all. The kit thought there was still a way the park could be open to anyone while still keeping it neat and pretty, but he kept his mouth shut. The Hemulen was nice enough to provide him shelter, and he didn’t want to lose that while he was still lonely and scared. Besides, even if he did argue, he’d probably get shut down anyways because of his age.

The Hemulen had soon finished washing his clothes, taking out the soaked clothing and hanging it on a clothes line. The Park Keeper stepped back, peering at his work. “There, that should do it. Are you fine with wearing those underclothes for a little bit?”

Snufkin’s face lit up as he looked at the Hemulen with much appreciation. “Yes, sir!”

“Your dress is rather thick—it should be dry within a few hours. Maybe four or five?”

“Thank you!”

The two headed inside, nothing on their minds as they walked from their last task. Snufkin took his harmonica out of his pocket and played a little tune. He was still practicing and getting better, but his notes were still a little messy and sometimes shrill. He was still trying to get the hang of playing one single note rather than multiple, but it was proving to be difficult. His father could play it almost flawlessly, though, so he knew one day he would be just as good.

His father…

It felt weird to think about him. He still missed him a lot, and he still had slight hope that one day soon he would catch up to him. But, at the same time, everything felt helpless. He didn’t know his way home, and he didn’t know where exactly his father was.

Snufkin wasn’t exactly sure how big the world was, but the Joxter could be anywhere.

“Nice song, kid,” the Hemulen’s voice snapped Snufkin out of his thoughts. He brought the mouthorgan away from his lips and looked up at the large creature. “Where’d you get that instrument from?”

“My Pappa,” the Mumrik kit answered, his voice slightly sheepish. 

“Ah. Got you a gift?”

“No…Or, well, kind of. It used to be his, and he gave it to me.”

“Hmm,” the Hemulen’s voice sounded as he hummed with acknowledgement. “Was your father a good player?”

“Yes!” Snufkin’s eyes lit up bright, the brown orbs flooded with sparkling admiration. He had a wide grin on his face. “His music was so nice. He taught me how to play! Oh, he taught me lots of things. I’m hoping that, one day, I’ll be just as good of a player as him.”

The Hemulen huffed with slight fondness. Fondness that surprised him—he had only known the kid for two days now and he already felt…protective? “Chase your dreams, kid. You’ll get there one day.”

Chase your dreams…Snufkin let the words wrap around his head as he processed them, the sentence filling his mind in a soft, soothing voice. The encouraging words made him smile wide with happiness and in that moment, he was filled with hope and courage.

If he just chased his dreams, one day, everything would be okay.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Around a decade has passed since Snufkin lost his family, but the Mumrik just has no idea what kind of surprises are waiting in store for him.

Years had passed and blown away like fallen leaves in the wind. Snufkin had gotten to the point where he never looked back, only forward.

He tried to follow his dreams, but he never did end up getting everything he wanted.

He had never found his way home. Nor did he find his father again. At some point he eventually just stopped looking and accepted he needed to move forward. So he did.

The Hemulen had gave him a home for two years. The Park Keeper didn’t kick him out, no…it was Snufkin’s decision to end up leaving. In fact, the two had grown to develop a very close relationship. Almost like father and son. The fact almost made Snufkin sad, however, because he felt like he was replacing his own father. No matter what, though, the Hemulen would always be close to his heart. No matter how much he didn’t agree with the creature’s land owning practices, and no matter how much the idea of owning land had come to be a sour concept in his head. No matter what the circumstances were, the creature had always been a kind soul to him.

When Snufkin had told him years ago that he wanted to leave, the Hemulen protested very little. He only protested with the fact that the boy was still very young to be leaving on his own like this, but the words had fallen flat and he soon came to acceptance of the kit’s need to leave. Of course, the creature was going to miss the kit he had grown to enjoy the company of. But the Hemulen understood; his cabin just wasn’t Snufkin’s home, and he wasn’t going to force the kit to stay in a place that he felt like he didn’t belong in. Snufkin had a family to go back to, and that’s what he was going to try to do.

If only the Hemulen had known that Snufkin would never end up finding them again. How would he respond? Would he have let Snufkin leave if he had known he’d only be wandering for years? Would Snufkin have even ended up leaving himself?

When Snufkin left, he had been 6 years old. Now, he was going fresh into being 14. It was weird to think about how time had passed. He’d grown taller. His hat finally fit him. 

He had gotten better at playing his harmonica. It was his now, completely…owned fully by him. Any remaining presence of the fact that the instrument once sat in the paws of his father was completely gone.

Snufkin remembered the day his dress didn’t fit him anymore. It had fit up until he was 7 when he was starting to grow bigger, though still rather small for his age. Perhaps that was the Mymble in him. He had to resort to stealing clothes from a market he came across, and he remembered sneaking around in his uncomfortably tight dress that had begun to rip at the seams from being stretched. He had stolen a piece of clothing that was perfect to him the moment he laid his eyes on it. A long piece of dark green cloth for the top and a pair of green pants to match. He made sure to steal a big pair in case he continued to grow, to which he did. He’d constantly have to tie something to keep his pants up because they kept falling, and his top reached a few inches past his knees. 

Just as he suspected, he had continued to grow, and just like his hat he eventually fit into his new clothing. His height began to level out around his current age, though he knew he’d still grow a few inches over time. He was rather tall, but not by much. He figured he’d still be a few inches shorter than his father. 

When Snufkin was 10, he had stolen a tent and a bag from a different marketplace he came across. He figured these things were needed if he was going to be traveling so much. At that point, he had already given up on finding his family. It had seemed like a lost cause. His eyes had also spotted a yellow scarf. It was unnecessary, but he felt like he had to have it. He never would have guessed that over time it became an item he was as attached to as he was his harmonica and hat.

That brought Snufkin where he was now, his camp set up along the side of a river in a forest, fishing for some dinner. Although he was only 14, he would consider himself decently mature. Almost like a grown Mumrik. He had to be mature though, didn’t he? He lost his family when he was very young and kept to his own for years afterwards. He had no choice but to be mature.

Snufkin was snapped from his thoughts at the feeling of a tug on his line. He quickly began to reel it in, plucking a fairly sized fish from its safe home in the water.

“Ah! Got you, little one!” Snufkin spoke aloud with a large grin, watching the fish hang from the line. Memories flashed back in his mind suddenly of fishing with his father when he was a younger kit. He quickly pushed them away, not wanting his mood to turn gloom or sour.

The Mumrik began to cook up the fish, his stomach growling as the animal sizzled in a pot over a fire he had set up not too long ago. He never did eat much, but he ate enough to be comfortable. Once it was prepared, he didn’t hesitate to start eating.

As he finished up, it had already begun to get dark. Snufkin quietly packed away his tools into a bag, listening as the sounds of crickets filled the air, and the occasional croak of a nearby frog or two. These types of sounds were usually his only company during the lonesome nights. He never saw many creatures. Occasionally, birds would fly around him and sing along to his tunes he played on his harmonica. For the most part, the forest was completely empty, and the only true interaction he got was locking eyes with the creatures in the marketplace before he’d slyly sneak away in preparations to steal materials he needed.

“Just another night,” Snufkin sighed softly to himself, his voice solemn. He had grown to like the peace and quiet. Or, really, making himself like being alone was perhaps the only thing keeping him sane when he had no other choice but to be alone. Though, sometimes, he did have to admit he got lonely.

He missed his family, his sisters, his brothers, his mother…his father. A small smile crept on his lips at the thought of his family. He silently wondered how Little My and Mymble Jr. were doing. He wondered about his other siblings, wondering how they’re doing and how tall they were now. He also wondered if Little My had grown any taller.

He laughed softly at the thought of if Little My could see him now. If she was still around the same height, she would surely be annoyed that her little brother had grown way taller. With the same smile on his face he finished packing his stuff and called it a night, crawling into his tent and settling on his makeshift bed of blankets and a pillow. It was slightly uncomfortable, but it was enough.

Snufkin began to drift off with nothing on his mind, his eyes closing as he breathed in and out, gently. This did not last for long, however, when he jolted awake at the sound of a loud rustling nearby. It startled him because the sound was strange. There were hardly ever any creatures around.

He looked around for a weapon but realized he failed to own one. Instead, he grabbed his fishing pole and lit his lantern, taking both things in his paws and stepping out of his tent. The rustling continued nearby off in the brush of the forest.

Snufkin’s pupils dilated as he looked forward, watching the leaves of the bush sway back and forth as something moved around within. “Who’s there?” he spoke aloud, his voice cracking slightly as it was in it’s process of deepening with age. Silence followed, save for the continued rustling. Snufkin held his pole tighter in his grip and crept forward. It was probably just a curious creature that wandered by, but he kept the pole ready in case he was wrong and needed to whack something that threatened to attack him.

The Mumrik continued walking forward until he was looming over the bush, obviously hesitant. “I know you’re in there,” he tried to keep his voice steady and confident, but there was a small, nervous quiver regardless. “Come out!” 

Again, nothing.

Hesitantly, Snufkin reached forward and pushed aside the leaves of the bush, trying to find the source of the rustling. He stuck his lantern inside and looked around, yet spotted nothing. Whatever it was, it must have—

“So this is where you’ve been all this time?”

The sudden voice from behind Snufkin made the boy yelp and quickly turn around, holding the fishing pole defensively and holding the lantern out in front of him. The bright yellow of the light met mischievous green eyes and made red hair shine brightly. 

Snufkin tried to speak, but his voice was weak. He managed to spit out words in a small voice. “Little My…?”

Little My sneered at him, though the expression was of strange fondness. “What? Did you forget about me? All these years and you forget your own sister.”

Snufkin blushed and quickly dropped his defensive stance, relaxing, though he was still a bit on edge. “No! No, no, I’m sorry. I just…wasn’t expecting you.” His voice cracked more when he spoke, almost coming out like a squeak. He felt weird. It was just…strange to see someone he had thought he lost. After all these years. In fact, it was really awkward.

Little My placed her paws on her hips, looking up at her brother. “Why’d you leave?” she demanded, cutting straight to the point. She didn’t want to bother with small talk. In her defense, if someone else had lost someone dear and close to them for several years, who _would_ want to make casual talk?

Snufkin’s tail lowered between his legs, feeling as if he was being scolded. He looked away shamefully, not wanting to meet her burning gaze. “I…” his voice was weak and he swallowed. “I don’t know. I didn’t want Pappa to leave. I snuck away to join him on his journey, and…” Silence followed his sentence as his voice trailed off. Usually, he’d have started crying by now, but nothing came, not even a sniffle. He had grown completely numb to being alone at this point.

Little My seemed to soften at the sight. She padded forward, reaching up to grab her little brother’s paw and she led him over to his tent, urging him into his tent. The small Mymble joined him inside not long afterwards, sitting across from him.

“You didn’t have to leave,” Little My said once they were within the privacy of his tent. 

“I know.”

“He would have come back!”

“I know.”

“We were all worried about you, Snufkin.”

“…I know.”

“You know…You’re an idiot.”

The words caught in Snufkin’s ears and he lifted his head, looking at Little My. “What?”

What met Snufkin’s gaze was a lighthearted expression as Little My had a fond smirk on her face. “You heard me!” she joked with him in her usual way, trying to lighten the mood. Snufkin couldn’t help but break into a smile, letting a soft laugh escape him. He was happy to see Little My act her usual self, and happy to be reunited once again.

“I know, Little My.”

“Well, did you ever find him?” Little My asked him curiously after a moment of silence that had spread between them.

“No. I tried.”

“So…where have you been?”

Snufkin went on to explain to her how he ran into a Hemulen, and how he had parted from him a few years later to go off on his own. He explained how all he did was travel and could never stay in a set place.

Little My couldn’t help but stay silent as he explained, actually surprised at how much he had gone through and how time had passed. Finally, after long silence, she spoke up, “You know, everyone back at home would be happy to see you.”

“I don’t know if I can go back, Little My,” he said sincerely, finally feeling the tears come up as Snufkin choked on his own voice. “I’m so used to being alone now. I don’t know if I could bare it.”

“You don’t have to stay,” Little My responded softly. For once, there was no snark in her voice. “Mamma and Pappa would love to see you. Even if you have to leave again.”

Snufkin wiped his eyes with his sleeve, peering at his older sister with a wide-eyed look of surprise. “Pappa?”

Little My gave a soft smile, that soon turned into a smirk. “Joxter is back for a little bit as usual from one of his trips. Bet you didn’t expect that, did you? Come on! Let’s hurry before they go to bed!”

Snufkin didn’t hesitate to pack his tent away into his traveling bag with the help of Little My. Soon enough, he was ready to travel, and he began trudging along in his boots with Little My sat atop his bag and looking over his head, guiding him with her voice and words. It hadn’t been a very long walk and soon enough he had come across the familiar sight of the house he grew up in.

“Why were you out at night, Little My?” Snufkin asked her as he began walking towards the front porch.

“Mamma wants to move. She heard of a very nice valley nearby and I wanted to check it out for myself. Or, that is, until I found you.”

Snufkin only chuckled softly in response to her and stepped up on the porch. He lifted a paw up to knock on the door and hesitated. He thought back at what Little My had said, about how they’d be happy to see him, but he couldn’t help but feel anxious regardless. What if they were angry? What if they didn’t want him back?

He wanted to run. He needed to. He moved to turn around and bolt but before he could do anything, Little My had groaned and reached forward, rapping her little fist against the wooden door. Before he could even think, the door opened.

Snufkin turned back around anxiously, his eyes meeting the slightly taller form of his oldest sister. 

Little My smirked as the two siblings stared at each other with the same amount of surprise. “Hey, Mymble!” she greeted her older sister, but received no response. She wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t even hear her.

“Oh my Booble,” Mymble Jr. cried out, launching forward and wrapping her arms around her little brother. Snufkin quickly turned the embrace and hugged her just as tight. A second later, he could feel something wet against his shoulder, realizing his older sister was sobbing.

“It’s okay,” Snufkin tried to comfort the weeps of his sister, rubbing her back in their hug. It made him want to cry himself. Instead, he buried his nose into her shoulder, his eyes closed comfortably. “I’m here now.”

“Junior?” called the voice of the mother Mymble from within the house, and the voice made Snufkin startle. He froze in his oldest sister’s hold as he heard footsteps come closer. “Junior? Are you crying, dear? What’s wrong?”

Snufkin heard a clatter of a bowl and a gasp as he opened his eyes, looking up at his mother from behind his sister and the two locked eyes. With a sniffle, Mymble Jr. stepped away from her brother, giving the mother a full view of her son.

“Oh, my,” Mymblemamma rushed forward, pulling Snufkin into a tight embrace. She wrapped one arm around his back and one around his head, pulling him into her as she hugged him tightly. “Oh, my dear…My boy.”

“Mamma,” Snufkin couldn’t help the tears anymore as they began to slip out and flow quickly. He let out choked sobs and whimpers as he wept into the fabric of her dress. “Oh, Mamma!”

“Shh, it’s okay, my dear,” Mymblemamma whispered to him quietly, petting his hair. “Hush, it’s okay, I’m here.”

“Mamma, you don’t know…You just don’t know,” Snufkin cried, his voice cracking more.

“Know what, my dear? What ever is the matter?” Mymblemamma prompted lovingly and gently as she knelt down on one knee, her paws placed on Snufkin’s shoulders, bringing him away so she could look into his eyes. Snufkin tried to avoid her gaze by shamefully moving his head away, but she gently placed a finger under his chin, bringing his gaze up. Finally, he met her soft eyes.

“You know you can tell me anything, Snufkin, I’m here for you. Please tell me what’s wrong.”

“You don’t know what I had to go through,” Snufkin continued to cry out, his lip quivering. “You don’t know how much I’ve missed you, Mamma!”

“I can only imagine, my dear,” Mymblemamma could feel tears begin to sting her own eyes. She had never thought the day would come where she’d reunite with her son once more. “It’s been about a decade, Snufkin.”

Those words only made the boy weep harder as he surged forward and wrapped his mother into another embrace. He wanted to hold on forever and never let go. Mymblemamma laughed softly and brought him away again, looking over him with a warm smile.

“My, my, you’ve gotten taller, my boy,” she hummed with a small smile. “How you’ve grown! You’re growing to look just like your father. You’re awfully dirty, too…I will wash your clothes as soon as I can. I can imagine you’ve got some wounds as well that need tended to.”

“Mamma…” Snufkin protested weakly with a small smile, but she was right. 

“That reminds me. There is someone else who would love to see you right now, but he happens to be sleeping.” With a small pat on Snufkin’s shoulder, Mymblemamma stood up. With her next words, she projected her voice, calling out. “Joxter? Dear?”

At his father’s name, Snufkin felt his heart lurch in his chest, and soon after it began to race in nervous anticipation. Mymblemamma noticed his anxiety and she gave him a soft understanding smile, petting a paw through his hair to calm his nerves.

“Mymble?” came a gruff voice full of sleepiness as the Joxter let out a small yawn, padding through the hallway in bare feet. He let out another yawn, his eyes closed as he stretched when he reached the living room. “Is something wrong?” Finally, he opened his eyes, the cold, icy gaze immediately locking with the warm eyes of honey that belonged to his own son.

“Pappa!” Snufkin cried out before the Joxter could even process what he was looking out, almost toppling over by how strong his son had grasped onto him, clinging onto his body and hugging him.

“Oh my Booble. Snufkin,” the Joxter spoke disbelievingly, his tone surprised, like he still couldn’t believe what was happening, or it just didn’t register. Finally, it began to settle in him and he wrapped his arms around his son, tightening his grip and gasping out. “Snufkin!”

Snufkin let out a small squeak as his father easily lifted him in the air, spinning him around. “Pappa!” Snufkin repeated, tears wetting his cheeks. “Pappa, I’ve missed you so much.”

The Joxter lowered his son back onto the ground, bringing him away to look into his eyes, almost like he was still confirming what he was seeing was real. Of course it was real. Coming to acceptance with the reuniting of him and his son, the Joxter let tears slip from his eyes as he smiled at his son.

“Kit, never do that again,” the Joxter sniffled, looking seriously into the eyes of his child. “You don’t know how worried I was when I came back and you weren’t there. Why did you do it?”

“I wanted to follow you, Pappa,” Snufkin admitted with his own sniffle, looking at his father with a small smile.

The Joxter didn’t say anything else, only pulled him into another hug. Snufkin only began to cry again when he could feel multiple arms wrap around him and joining their hug.

“I was the one who found him,” Little My grinned as she pulled away. “He had a camp set out in the forest.”

The Joxter pulled away as well, peering at his son curiously. He had a small, amused smile. “I see you’re growing out to be like me. I can’t say I exactly expected it too much, kit.”

Snufkin chuckled warmly and wiped his final tears. “I guess so, Pappa. And, I’m not a kit anymore!”

The Joxter only hummed, knocking Snufkin’s hat back further on his head so he could ruffle his hair. “You’ve grown into a nice young boy, Snufkin. But you’ll always be my kit.”

Snufkin laughed softly, swiping playfully at his father’s paw but the Joxter quickly retracted it with a grin. Mymblemamma smiled warmly at them and placed a paw on Snufkin’s back, rubbing it. “Snufkin, why don’t you come and let me wash your clothes? You need a bath as well, and I’ll treat your wounds. You can tell us all about your long journey.”

Snufkin smiled warmly at her, “Yes, Mamma.” With that, he followed his family into the hallway, listening to the excited chatter to finally have such an important part of them back into their lives.

Eventually, Snufkin knew he had to leave again. It was what he was used to now—quiet and solitude. However, just for now, it’d be okay to stay just for a little bit. He had finally found what he had been searching for, after years and years of loneliness and longing. Now, he could finally feel happiness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, two chapters published in one day! And with that, my story is concluded! I really hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it! It was really fun to write and I feel like this was a very excellent way to practice improving my writing. I have another big story planned, so keep watch for that!
> 
> Thank you to all the very nice comments on my work, I have no idea what I'd do without you. You've been my sole encouragement the entire way, and I truly am grateful for it, thank you all!
> 
> See you in my next stories! <3


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